Re: Raccoon euthanized after woman brings it to pet store and other customers kiss it

On 03 Nov 2021, Steve Cummings <[email protected]> posted some 
news:[email protected]:

> Stupid fucking Democrats.

AUBURN, Maine -- A raccoon in Maine was euthanized and tested for rabies 
after a woman brought it into a pet store for a nail trim and some 
customers kissed it, state wildlife authorities said.

The raccoon tested negative for the disease, and there is no rabies risk 
to the public, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife 
spokesperson Mark Latti said Sunday. However, raccoons are one of the most 
common carriers of rabies in the state, and bringing the wild animal into 
a pet store constituted an unnecessary risk to public health, Latti said.

The woman, who has not been identified by authorities, brought the raccoon 
into an Auburn pet store on Tuesday, the wildlife department said. She was 
seeking to get the animal's nails trimmed, which is a service the store 
does not provide to raccoons, the department said.

Several different people handled the animal and some kissed it, the 
wildlife department said. The store's manager then asked the woman to 
leave and contacted the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 
the department said.

The raccoon was then tested for the disease, which came back negative, but 
necessitated euthanizing it, Latti said. There is no nonlethal test for 
rabies in animals, he said.

Rabies is almost always fatal in humans once symptoms appear, and 
potential sufferers need to seek treatment immediately. Wildlife are best 
left alone, though animal control authorities can also be notified if the 
animals appear to be in distress, Latti said.

“When they lose their fear of people they are more likely to become a 
nuisance or be run over by a vehicle,” Latti said.

The wildlife department said store customers who touched the animal should 
still contact their health care providers as a precaution. Raccoons are 
capable of transferring other diseases along to humans and other animals 
as well.

The pet store, a location of the national chain Petco, did not immediately 
respond to a request for comment on Sunday. A representative for the local 
store referred a request on to the company's corporate office in San 
Diego.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/raccoon-euthanized-after-woman-brings-
pet-store-customers-99661577