Erin Smith, Journal Staff Writer

A bobcat that was found in a yard in the Dublin-Tar Heel area was confirmed by the state lab in Raleigh to have rabies, said Ted Carter of Bladen County Animal Control. As a result of exposure to the cat, two dogs had to be euthanized.

“The bobcat showed up in a yard last Saturday and the owners’ dogs kept him at bay, barking and nipping at it, until the owner came outside,” said Carter. “The owner destroyed the bobcat and called animal control.”

Carter told the Journal on Thursday afternoon, the results of testing on the cat had come back positive.

“The owner had two dogs. One of which his vaccination had expired on May 31 and the other one was unvaccinated for the disease and we had to euthanize them,” said Carter. “If these pets had been vaccinated, all that would have been required is for them to have gotten a booster shot.”

All pet owners are advised to be vigilant and make certain your pet’s vaccinations, including rabies, are up-to-date.

“If a pet’s vaccinations are not current and it encounters a rabid animal, the owner has two choices. They can have the animal euthanized or they can board it at a licensed veterinarian for six months for observation,” said Carter.

Several rabid animals have been found in Bladen County this year. There have also been several wild animals whose bodies were too decomposed to be tested for the disease, according to Carter.

According to Health Director Wayne Stewart, Bladen County has had two positive cases of rabies since January — one bobcat and one raccoon. In 2007, Bladen had three positive cases, all were raccoons.

In comparison, Columbus County has had one bobcat and two raccoons test positive since January and Sampson County has had three raccoons test positive while Robeson County has had one positive case in a fox. Both Duplin and Cumberland counties have had one positive case each and they involved raccoons.

“There is no way to know if an animal has rabies until it is confirmed through testing by the state lab,” said Carter.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, rabies is a disorder that attacks the central nervous system and can be fatal to the infected animal. It can be passed from one animal to another usually through a bite.

According to the World Health Organization, early symptoms of the disease are non-specific. It is not until the more advanced stages of the disease where one notices the foaming of the mouth and hyperactivity that is a symptom of furious rabies or the paralysis sets in that is associated with “dumb” rabies.

In both forms of the disease, paralysis of some parts of the body, such as the hind legs, advances to become complete paralysis of the entire body and is usually followed by coma then death, according to WHO.

Wild animals are known carriers of the disease. If a wild animal enters your yard, do not approach it. Contact animal control immediately and allow them to handle the situation, said Carter.