JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After the Florida Department of Health issued a rabies alert for folks dwelling close to UNF and the St. Johns Town Center Mall on Thursday, News4JAX began getting calls and emails from members of the stray cat-caring neighborhood.
They took subject with one of many security suggestions by the Florida Department of Health on what to do to forestall contracting rabies. In the alert, the Department of Health instructed folks within the alert space name animal management to take away stray animals from the neighborhood.
But folks stated stray animals may additionally imply cat colonies and neighborhood cats which can be being cared for by individuals who spend their very own money to feed, spay, neuter and vaccinate the cats.
Animal advocates stated there was no context to that well being division’s suggestion.
“Simply stating that all stray cats need to be removed or all community cats need to be removed is just not accurate,” stated Rebecca Nelson.
Nelson stated the bulletin ought to have been extra particular to incorporate wording that features eradicating a stray animal that’s exhibiting indicators of getting rabies.
“Community cats often have caretakers, so to say call animal control to have these cats removed is not accurate and it puts cats at risk who do have their vaccinations, who do have their ears clipped and have been fed and taken care of regularly,” she stated.
Nelson fears the present wording of the alert may give folks the fallacious impression that it’s okay to take away and kill stray cats inside the alert space as a sort of rabies prevention. Animal investigation professional Jim Crosby is warning people about taking issues into their very own fingers.
“This is not a license to go out and take any action other than just be aware and keep your animals safe and under your control,” Crosby stated.
The actuality right here is that animal management is not going to take away a stray canine or cat just because they’re roaming the neighborhood. However, they’ll take away a stray animal that’s exhibiting indicators of being contaminated with rabies.
According to the CDC, these indicators embrace seizures, issue respiration, disorientation, extreme drooling, aggressive habits or self-mutilation.
When it involves aggressive habits, animal management will ask the caller if the animal seems to be making an attempt to attack folks and different animals. If the animal meets the standards to be picked up on suspicion of rabies, it will likely be euthanized, and the animal’s head might be faraway from the physique and despatched to a lab.
Nelson stated she want to converse with state lawmakers about methods to guard cat colonies from being generalized as stray animals each time a rabies alert goes out.
The well being division didn’t reply to News4JAX’s name, probably due to the vacation weekend.
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