posted: May 11, 2012 by: IBCDVG Tags: "News"
Protect Yourself, Your Children, and Your Pets!
Recently, there has been a sharp increase in rabid animals on Staten Island. To help stop the spread of rabies and to protect people and pets, the Health Department is asking all Staten Islanders to take these actions NOW:
Get your cat or dog vaccinated for rabies. It’s the law.
Check with your vet to see if your pet is up-to-date.
Call 311 or visit nyc.gov/health for information on free or low-cost rabies shots.
Always keep cats indoors (even vaccinated cats) and watch your dog when it is outdoors. Cats that roam could come into contact with rabid animals, get infected, and then expose you.
Stay away from wild or stray animals. Keep children and pets away from them too.
Never approach a wild, stray, sick, or injured animal, no matter how helpless it looks.
Raccoons, skunks, bats, and stray cats are more likely than other animals to have rabies.
Be careful around them—especially if they look sick or behave strangely. For example:
Too aggressive or too friendly.
Trouble standing up.
Night animals, like raccoons, walking around during the day.
If you see animals acting this way, call 311 and ask for advice on what to do.
Keep garbage in tight containers to avoid attracting animals.
If you are bitten by an animal, wash the wound, consult a doctor, and call 311 to report the bite.
First, wash the wound with soap and water IMMEDIATELY.
Talk to a doctor right away to see if you need tetanus or rabies shots.
If you don’t have a regular doctor, go to a hospital emergency room.
Call 311 to report the bite.