North Carolina County Confirms Thirteenth Rabies Case
Pet owners beware. Gaston County in North Carolina has confirmed the county’s 13th rabies case of 2022. This is according to a Facebook post by the Gaston County Animal Care and Enforcement. The Gaston County Police Animal Care responded to a call last week involving a dog that had killed a raccoon. The incident took place in the owner back yard in Gastonia. The animal was processed and tested for rabies. That sample was sent to the North Carolina state lab for testing. The raccoon did in fact test positive for rabies.
The dog was up to date on rabies vaccines and received a precautionary booster for the virus. In the wake of this incident, Animal Care and Enforcement is encouraging residents to make sure pets are up to date on their rabies vaccinations. They also want to remind the public not to handle sick, wild animals in case they are positive for rabies. If you encounter an animal you believe needs assistance reach out to your local animal control. They can handle the care from there. If you believe you have been in contact with an animal suspected of rabies reach out to your healthcare provider immediately.
This North Carolina report represents the thirteenth confirmed rabies case in Gaston County this year.
List: 15 Places To Visit Animals In The Charlotte North Carolina Area
An interesting fact that you may not know is that Charlotte is actually the largest city in the country that doesn’t have a zoo. And there is very little chance we will ever get a true one. But don’t let that get you down, there are plenty of places you can visit with all types of animals in the Charlotte area. The biggest reason we will most likely never get a true zoo is that we are just 1.5 hours from both the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro and Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia.
Both of those zoos make our list and while both are large zoos, they offer different animals. For instance, you can see polar bears in North Carolina and Koalas in South Carolina. Is marine life more of your interest? Don’t worry we’ve got a couple of options for you as well. Other animals include bison, alpacas, farm animals, all sorts of birds, goats are more.
All of the places on this list are a short drive from Charlotte. Most are very affordable to visit so a great family trip as the weather gets warmer. I love animals but I’m not a huge fan of encountering them unexpectedly, so this type of thing is right up my alley. I can’t wait to add several of these to my summer bucket list. Where is your favorite place to visit animals in the Charlotte area? Let us know on social media!
Melanie Day is a graduate of North Carolina State University. She has worked for Beasley since 2012 in a variety of behind-the-scenes roles in both digital and promotions. Melanie writes about a diverse range of topics some of her favorites include travel, restaurants, Taylor Swift, and college athletics. When not at work you'll find her at a country concert or NC State sporting event.
