Lincoln County warns of rabies risk after recent cases

LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Lincoln County Animal Services has confirmed the county’s 10th, 11th, and 12th rabies cases of 2025.

A resident called Animal Services Sunday, Sept. 7, regarding a skunk that entered a dog door on the 2000 block of Bess Chapel Church Road in Cherryville.

There was no documented exposure to humans or pets, but the skunk was submitted for testing due to abnormal behavior.

Lincoln County Animal Services received confirmation of a positive rabies test for the skunk Wednesday, Sept. 10.

Also on Sunday, Sept. 7, a resident called Animal Services regarding a raccoon that started acting aggressively towards a human and ultimately ended up getting into an altercation with their dog.

This incident occurred on the 800 block of Curve View Road in Lincolnton.

Lincoln County Animal Services received confirmation of a positive rabies test for the raccoon Wednesday, Sept. 10.

There was no documented exposure towards the human.

The dog, which had an expired rabies vaccination, was able to receive a booster vaccination and returned home to complete a 45-day observation period to monitor for symptoms of illness.

On Tuesday, Sept. 9, a resident called Animal Services regarding a previous altercation
between a skunk and a kitten that was found in an outdoor cat house that occurred August
25.

The homeowner had dispatched and discarded the skunk and began treating the injured
kitten.

The kitten began to show signs of aggression and neurological distress, and the homeowner surrendered the kitten over to Animal Services, where it was determined to dispatch the kitten and submit the specimen to the North Carolina State Laboratory for rabies testing.

In this instance, there were known exposures to humans and domesticated animals.

Lincoln County Animal Services received confirmation of a positive rabies test for the
kitten and began appropriate exposure protocol Friday, Sept. 12.

If you see or encounter a wild animal that may be sick or is exhibiting signs of abnormal behavior, call Animal Services at 704-736-4125 to report it.

Lincoln County Animal Services will be providing free rabies vaccinations for dogs and
cats through Friday, Oct. 3. Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
and Saturday appointments can be made on the LCAS website or by calling 704-736-
4125 (no vaccinations on Sundays).