Elizabeth Dellapietro began her morning like any other, letting her 12-year-old dog, Tilly, out to take care of business. It wasn’t long before Elizabeth heard terrified yelps and cries from Tilly, sending her rushing outside in alarm. What she saw was her worst nightmare—a rabid raccoon had attacked her tiny 10-pound Chihuahua mix, clinging on and refusing to let go, despite Tilly being restrained by her leash.
In a moment of pure instinct, Elizabeth sprang into action to save her beloved pet. Armed with nothing but a metal watering can, she began hitting the raccoon on its back, desperately trying to get it to release Tilly. The situation was terrifying, especially in light of a warning from the local veterinarian, Dr. Linda Morrone, who had identified this as the second rabid raccoon attack in the area within just two weeks. Dr. Morrone expressed her concern: “When I heard my dog scream in pain, I knew we had a serious problem.”
Elizabeth’s quick and courageous response undoubtedly saved Tilly’s life, but the incident underscores a larger, growing issue of rabid wildlife in the region.
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“Rabies is a very serious illness,” Dr. Morrone stated. “We’re so worried about COVID that we’re overlooking this, and it’s out there, and people have to get their (pets’) rabies vaccines updated and be extremely conscious of this.” Thankfully, Elizabeth was able to ward off the rabid raccoon’s jaws and rush her dog to the veterinarian for treatment. Tilly got leg injuries as well as a broken toe after being bitten by a rabid raccoon. As a precautionary measure, her mother is receiving rabies shots.
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She is totally shaken up by the incident, and now she is afraid to let her dogs out. She carries a baseball bat with her and must undergo at least four rounds of rabies vaccines over a two-week time frame. The rabid raccoon remains at large, which is a cause for major concern in the community. Residents are urged to keep garbage cans closed tightly and not to leave food outside. If a raccoon is spotted behaving strangely, business administrator Michael Muscillo asks residents to call the police.
“If it’s exhibiting strange signs if it’s drooling, or those type of issues, we are asking residents stay away and call (police) immediately,” Muscillo shared.
Image/Story Source Credit: YouTube Video
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