Rabid Puppy In Texas: Craigslist Puppies May Have Rabies

A litter of nine shepherd-mix puppies were advertised on Craigslist in Henrietta, Texas, and all were adopted out. The puppies were from a home on FM 1197. Unfortunately, one of the puppies was adopted by someone in Wichita Falls and bit the adopter. That puppy tested positive for rabies. Now the Wichita Falls-Wichita County Public Health District is trying to alert the public about the possible rabies exposure from the other puppies, according to the Examiner. The mother of the litter is pictured with this article.

Although any mammal can be infected with rabies, it’s most often seen in wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. Unvaccinated pets can get rabies if exposed. People and pets exposed to rabies can get the disease if they have been bitten by a rabid animal or if they are exposed to the saliva of a rabid animal through a mucous membrane such as the eyes, nose, or mouth or through a cut, according to KFDX Channel 3.

Rabies is a disease that attacks the central nervous system. One of the first signs of rabies is often a change in behavior, such as excitability or irritability. Some rabid animals attack anything in their path. Convulsions, foaming at the mouth, choking, and staggering are also signs, as is paralysis. Humans infected may exhibit flu-like symptoms, and they may show confusion, delirium, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, and insomnia. By the time symptoms appear, animals usually die within a week.

People who took one of the nine puppies home or who have been exposed to the puppies are urged to contact the Health District immediately at 940-761-7833 or 7824. And to ask medical questions, people are asked to call Lynette Williams, RN, Nursing Division Administrator at 940-761-7892.

Craigslist can be a risky place to sell, buy, or give away anything. In another transaction via Craigslist, a couple found out the inherent risks when meeting a stranger after placing an ad to re-home their dog. Corine and Free Williams posted a Craigslist ad in the hope of finding a great new home for their Chihuahua, Paco. The Bellevue, Nebraska, couple were in for a horrible, frightening surprise when the woman they met pulled a gun on them and stole their beloved canine. They met Patricia Winger at Bucky’s in Bellevue. After Winger rode off with the canine, the couple called the police, as they were able to write down the license plate to her car. They did get their dog back after the police went to Winger’s home, according to an article in the Inquisitr.

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