HABERSHAM CO. NEWS RELEASE:
“(Last Saturday) Habersham County Animal Care and Control responded to a complaint
on Sunshine Circle in Cornelia…in reference to a “stray cat” which was “acting aggressively”.
According to the resident, the “stray cat” which was “named” Rider had bitten / scratched two victims the
night prior. The cat was already deceased at the time of Animal Controls’ arrival.
Habersham County Animal Control submitted the deceased cat to the CDC State Laboratory for rabies
testing via Habersham Environmental Health. Results that confirmed a positive specimen were obtained
Wednesday afternoon.
This marks the second 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.
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 encounter 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 are
part of a TNR colony and have been vaccinated for rabies.
To learn more about HCACC, visit https://www.habershamga.com/animal-control.cfm.”