Community Corner

Dog Attacks a Raccoon with Rabies

Read about the raccoon incidents reported so far this month.

A Shelton man living near the East Village Road/Webb Circle area of Monroe told police his dog attacked and killed a raccoon on Sept. 8. The specimen was sent to the State Lab and tested positive for rabies.

Monroe Animal Control Officer Ed Risko said the dog was validly vaccinated, however, a booster shot was ordered and a 45-day strict confinement of the dog was ordered.

The Valley Health Department is reviewing possible human exposures to the owner, who handled his dog while breaking up the attack.

The case remains open pending the 45 day confinement period. Risko said Shelton Animal Control is checking the license.

A Crying Raccoon

A Patmar Circle woman reported hearing a young raccoon crying in a storm drain across from her house on Sept. 10. An officer searched the area, but could not find the animal. 

Children Playing with a Raccoon

Someone reported seeing a large group of children playing with a raccoon in a parking lot on Monroe Turnpike on Sept. 6, but the kids and the animal were gone when an officer arrived.

Police said the raccoon was seen in the Village Square Mobil parking lot, 390 Monroe Turnpike, an hour later and that an officer followed it into the shopping center parking lot, captured and removed it. The raccoon was later euthanized.

No exposures were reported nor testing required, according to Monroe Animal Control Officer Ed Risko.

Sick & Injured

A sick raccoon found in a yard on Knollwood Street around 11 a.m. on Sept. 7 was euthanized and removed.

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A sick or injured raccoon was seen in the roadway on Belle Vale Street at 2:46 p.m. on Sept. 7, but police said the animal was gone by the time an officer arrived.

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An officer was able to capture and confine a sick raccoon in a recycling bin at a Verna Road property at around 3:39 p.m. on Sept. 7, but the animal died before Monroe Animal Control's arrival.

The carcass was removed and no exposures were reported and no testing was required, according to Risko.

A Raccoon Under the Shed?

A Far Mill Road resident who has seen a raccoon being active during the day believes it is living under a shed on the property. An officer searched the area over a three-week period, but could not find the animal, Risko said.

A referral was made to hire a nuisance wildlife control operator for exclusion or trapping if the resident strongly believes the animal is under the shed.


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