— Information courtesy of Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood
Granville County Animal Control has confirmed multiple cases of canine distemper from raccoons picked up within the city of Oxford after receiving reports of raccoons behaving strangely and showing no fear or awareness of humans. Each raccoon was picked up north of downtown Oxford on College Street, Broad Street and Kearney Avenue.
While humans are not susceptible to canine distemper, domestic dogs and ferrets, as well as wild carnivores, are. Canine distemper can be fatal, and animals who contract the virus behave similarly to rabid animals. The virus is spread through direct contact, and the virus can persist for months post-infection. Granville County Animal Management strongly recommends that all dogs receive the canine distemper vaccination from a licensed veterinarian.
The raccoons that were tested and confirmed to have canine distemper were trapped by Granville County Animal Management and transferred to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Canine distemper is very common in raccoons, skunks and foxes.
Please report any animal-related concerns to Granville County Animal Management for investigation by calling 919.693.6749 or by dialing 911.
For more information about Granville County Animal Management and the animal shelter, visit https://www.granvillecounty.org/180/Animal-Management.
