On the evening of March 5, Animal Control Officer Duane Walburg says he was called to a home in Southbrook Estates.
Walburg said, "The cat was still loose in the residence."
A feral cat had found it's way inside a man's home.
"He had a dog in the house and evidently the dog was going after the cat, he grabbed the cat to protect it," said Walburg.
Walburg says the cat bit the man's hands.
"We set up a live trap for the cat and caught the cat the following day," Walburg said.
The cat was euthanized and taken to SDSU for testing. After the results came back inconclusive, SDSU sent them to the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia. Those results came back positive for rabies.
"You know we get the occasional skunk and so on and so forth," said Walburg. "I've been doing this for 28 years. This is the second positive cat I've had."
Walburg says the man was notified to get the proper shots. Signs have also been taped on nearby homes. Walburg says they just want to notify nearby residents what happened and what to do if they encounter any wild animals.
"Leave stray animals alone. If you see something that's not acting right, appears to not be feeling well, do not handle it," said Walburg.
The note also says that traps will be placed throughout the area. It reads, "Any cat captured will be euthanized."
Walburg says it can be hard to tell if an animal has rabies, depending on what stage it is. He say the cat he encountered was wild, but wasn't aggressive. He says that's why it's important not to handle any stray animals and keep your animal's vaccinations up to date.
If you see an animal that's behaving strange or is sick in Brookings County, you're asked to the call the sheriff's office or animal control. Again, they're asking residents not to touch any stray animals.
(KDLT - March 17, 2015)
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