Northeast Tarrant

Fearless skunk caught, euthanized in Hurst tests positive for rabies

By Mark David Smith

msmith@star-telegram.com
A young skunk, held in a quarantine cage, is among some of the animals which were taken from Winnie's Fish and Pet store in Hurst, and held at the Humane Society of North Texas in Fort Worth on June 30, 1999.
A young skunk, held in a quarantine cage, is among some of the animals which were taken from Winnie's Fish and Pet store in Hurst, and held at the Humane Society of North Texas in Fort Worth on June 30, 1999. Helen Jau STAR-TELEGRAM
HURST

A skunk that “showed no sign of fear or defensive behavior” tested positive for rabies in Hurst last week.

A Hurst Animal Services officer caught the skunk near the 2100 block of Precinct Line Road on Saturday, according to a Hurst news release. Animal Services suspected it was rabid because of its unusual behavior, so it was euthanized and tested positive for rabies by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

The city urged every cat and dog owners to have their pets vaccinated and keep them up to date, and the city wants residents to use caution around wild animals and avoid ones acting abnormally.

If you have seen or come in contact with an animal that may be rabid, contact Hurst Animal Services at 817-788-7216 or the Department of State Health Services at 512-776-7255.

Mark David Smith: 817-390-7808, @MarkSmith_FWST

This story was originally published November 18, 2016 at 10:03 AM with the headline "Fearless skunk caught, euthanized in Hurst tests positive for rabies."

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