Manitoba dog owner warning of rabies after dogs attacked by skunks
A Manitoba dog owner is warning others to be careful about rabies after a rabid skunk attacked her dog earlier this month.
Ashley Bartel raises dogs at Lanfear Newfoundlands, and said one of her dogs was attacked by a rabid skunk earlier this month, while a second dog in the area was also attacked.
Video set up at her home in Oakbank. Man. shows one of the attacks, with the skunk appearing from under the deck and chasing after the dog.
She shaved her dog’s long fur and determined he had not been bitten.
The skunk was later killed, and tests found it had rabies.
Bartel said the dogs are all up to date but she is completing booster shots just in case and vaccinating her goats.
“The skunk was in the goat pen quite a bit,” she said, adding it was unusual for the critters to be out in broad daylight.
A spokesperson for the Manitoba government confirmed to CTV Winnipeg that two skunks tested positive for rabies in the RM of Springfield in the last two weeks. They said skunks pose the highest risk of rabies among all wildlife in Manitoba, ahead of bats and Arctic foxes.
“The province no longer traps skunks to test for rabies and previously gained information showed that skunks in southern Manitoba circulate and maintain the rabies virus in the population every year, which means there is always a risk that skunks in Manitoba have rabies,” the spokesperson said.
Signs of rabies in animals include aggressive behaviour, attacking people and other animals, and showing neurological symptoms such as stumbling, walking in circles or being very lethargic. The province said people should avoid animals showing these symptoms.
Correction
Editor's Note: This is a corrected story. We previously reported that the goats had to be tested when in fact they are being vaccinated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Updated advisory urges Canadians to avoid all travel to Syria, leave if possible
Ottawa is urging Canadians to avoid all travel to Syria and to consider leaving the country if it's safe to do so.
Baby found dead in south Edmonton parking lot: police
Police are investigating the death of an infant in south Edmonton.
Trump calls for immediate cease-fire in Ukraine and says a U.S. withdrawal from NATO is possible
Donald Trump on Sunday pushed Russian leader Vladimir Putin to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine, describing it as part of his active efforts as U.S. president-elect to end the war despite being weeks from taking office.
Quebec Premier meets with Trump, Zelenskyy and Musk during Paris trip
Quebec Premier François Legault met up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk while visiting Paris this weekend.
Do you recognize these men? RCMP seek Metro Vancouver grandparent scam suspects
Mounties in Metro Vancouver have released photos of two men alleged to have been involved in “numerous” so-called grandparent scams earlier this year, hoping the public can help identify them.
Russian state news agencies say ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad is in Moscow and given asylum
Ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad fled to Moscow on Sunday, Russian media reported, hours after a stunning rebel advance took over the capital of Damascus and ended the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule.
A man, a bike and a gun: Police search for evidence to solve the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO on the streets of New York
As the investigation into the fatal shooting of a health care executive in Manhattan enters its fifth day, police are missing key pieces of evidence and are combing through what they have gathered for more clues, as the suspect remains on the run.
Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise U.S. prices and promises swift immigration action
Donald Trump said he can't guarantee that his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won't raise prices for American consumers and he suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned.
Birds, plants, insects join list of 860 at-risk Canadian species
Last month's meeting of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assessed four new species to be actively endangered, bringing the total of known at-risk species to 860, nationwide.