Habersham County has received confirmation of a positive rabies case, the fourth since Sept. 2024.
HABERSHAM CO. NARRATIVE:
On Thursday October 23 rd ,2025 Habersham County Animal Care and Control responded to a call made
to the Department from Sunshine Circle in Cornelia, GA in reference to bite call involving a resident who
was bitten by a stray cat. Animal Control Officer Roper responded to the call and was able to locate and
impound the cat.
The cat was displaying clinical signs of rabies and was immediately humanely euthanized and
Habersham County Animal Control submitted the specimen to the CDC State Laboratory for rabies
testing via Habersham Environmental Health. Results that confirmed a positive specimen were obtained
Tuesday afternoon.
This marks the fourth Positive Case of Rabies in Habersham this calendar year.
“This is a reminder to check that your pet’s vaccinations are current. Dogs and cats who receive an initial
rabies vaccination are not considered immunized until 28 days after the vaccine has been administered,
therefore it is strongly recommended that any animal newly vaccinated or those too young to receive the
vaccine (less than three months) not be left outdoors unattended.” Says Madi Nix HCACC Director.
“We cannot stress enough that free feeding feral cats is detrimental to the animals and the community.
Unmanaged colonies spread disease among our furry friends and also put our human population at risk”
In addition to vaccinating your pets for rabies, there are several things residents can do to protect
themselves and their pets:
Avoid wildlife and animals you do not know.
Do not allow your pet to roam; it can come in contact with rabid wildlife.
Never feed or touch wild animals, especially bats, skunks, raccoons, or foxes.
Seek medical attention immediately if bitten or exposed to saliva of a wild animal.
Contact your veterinarian if your pet was exposed to a bat, raccoon, skunk, or other wild
carnivore.
Do not encourage the feeding of unmanaged cat colonies. If you do feed cats, ensure they…have been vaccinated for rabies.”