Second Case Of Rabies Reported In North Little Rock Neighborhood
By: Jocelyn Tovar, KARK 4 NEWS
Updated: September 14, 2012
A growing trend, since 2002 animal control reports 80% of North Little Rock rabies cases happened in the Lakewood area and people there said they wish they had been notified about this recent case.
People like Linda Maxwell whose dog "Poppins" is often found playing in her yark in North Little Rock, chasing various fur-covered animals.
Maxwell said she was outraged to find a bat in her neighborhood recently tested positive for rabies and she wasn't notified.
"So that we could find out which precautions are available and what we can do and make sure people know about the vaccinations," Maxwell said.
Just one street over from Maxwell's, notices were taped to the front of every door on Garland Avenue warning of this recent rabies case and urging people to take precaution.
On Labor Day a man on his porch on Garland was startled when he felt a bat crawling up his leg. A bat that later tested positive for the rabies virus.
"He knocked the bat off of him and then called animal control," said David Miles with North Little Rock's animal control. He said the man wasn't bitten and is not recieving the rabies vaccine.
They are asking those in the area to use extreme caution when it comes to any encounters with bats and skunks the main rabies transmitters in Arkansas.
"Do not touch it, do not try and kill it yourself," Miles said.
"People come here quite a bit with their families and small children," said Maxwell. "A lot are out here specifically with their dogs and children."
She said danger so close to her home, in such a family-friendly and outdoorsy area, should have called for more canvassing and more notice by animal control.
Animal control officials told KARK they took all the steps required for notifying the necessary officials about this rabies case and are still trying to get the word out.
People like Linda Maxwell whose dog "Poppins" is often found playing in her yark in North Little Rock, chasing various fur-covered animals.
Maxwell said she was outraged to find a bat in her neighborhood recently tested positive for rabies and she wasn't notified.
"So that we could find out which precautions are available and what we can do and make sure people know about the vaccinations," Maxwell said.
Just one street over from Maxwell's, notices were taped to the front of every door on Garland Avenue warning of this recent rabies case and urging people to take precaution.
On Labor Day a man on his porch on Garland was startled when he felt a bat crawling up his leg. A bat that later tested positive for the rabies virus.
"He knocked the bat off of him and then called animal control," said David Miles with North Little Rock's animal control. He said the man wasn't bitten and is not recieving the rabies vaccine.
They are asking those in the area to use extreme caution when it comes to any encounters with bats and skunks the main rabies transmitters in Arkansas.
"Do not touch it, do not try and kill it yourself," Miles said.
"People come here quite a bit with their families and small children," said Maxwell. "A lot are out here specifically with their dogs and children."
She said danger so close to her home, in such a family-friendly and outdoorsy area, should have called for more canvassing and more notice by animal control.
Animal control officials told KARK they took all the steps required for notifying the necessary officials about this rabies case and are still trying to get the word out.
