Suppose you’ve seen a couple of unfamiliar dogs roaming in your neighborhood. They’ve been hanging around for a few days, no collars, looking kind of skinny. If you pick up the phone and dial 252.492.3136 to reach Animal Services, you’ve made the right call.
William Coker, Animal Services director, and his staff are available to help residents with domesticated animals – from dogs and cats to horses, cows and chickens.
But what about wildlife like deer or bats?
Well, it just depends, Coker said on a recent TownTalk segment.
“When we cross over is when a citizen needs our assistance,” Coker explained.
When a vehicle hits a deer, for example. Or someone calls to say a bat is in their house.
Both cases for Animal Services, Coker said. A 911 dispatcher will route such calls to Animal Services rather than Wildlife Management.
“If anybody uses the word ‘rabies,’ that’s Animal Services,” Coker said. “We take care of that.”
A recent report of a raccoon “acting funny” brought Animal Services out to observe just that – a raccoon “in a ditch in broad daylight. It was alive but it was acting mighty strange,” Coker said.
They handled the situation, but did not send the raccoon out to be tested for rabies because it hadn’t come into contact with any person or a person’s pet.
And as for coyotes, which Coker said are plentiful in Vance County, increased sightings during the day or noticing that a coyote is hanging around and not just passing through tells him a couple of things.
This time of year, he said, it could be a female that’s got some pups nearby. Females often go outside their normal range in search of food for their young. Second possibility: rabies.
Anyone who observes an animal acting strange or out of character should report the sighting to Animal Services during normal business hours.
If something occurs after hours, Coker asks that folks be thoughtful about whether it’s a true emergency before calling 911.
If those stray dogs have been hanging around for a few days, call Animal Services during business hours. If those stray dogs are exhibiting aggressive behavior or being a menace to other pets or otherwise acting strangely, it may be wise to call 911.