Duties of Fur Parents in Protecting Pets Against Wildlife According to Local Expert

Experts discuss the responsibilities of fur parents in keeping their pets safe from being savaged by wildlife.

Certain wildlife species can harm household pets unexpectedly, especially in places such as North Carolina. According to North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission biologist Falyn Owens, raccoons, coyotes, foxes, and snakes are some of the most prevalent predators in the Charlotte area during the fall.

According to Owens, wild animals occasionally attack pets to defend themselves, and yet pets can also end up as their prey. She explained that They can become part of the food chain and become prey for predators, especially if very, very small pets are left outside alone without human supervision.

Wildlife Attacks in North Carolina

In 2021, there were 14 incidents where wild animals attacked domestic According to Owens, there were 14 instances of domestic pet attacks by wild animals in Mecklenburg County in 2021, with most of those incidents going unreported to N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

According to Owens, half of these incidents involved coyotes attacking or killing outdoor cats. A coyote will likely consider anything up to the size of a rabbit to be a potential meal. In both Charlotte and North Carolina, these kinds of incidents happen frequently.

How to be Protective Fur Parents

The NCWRC advises owners to keep their pets within a fenced area, on a leash, or under close supervision when they are outdoors. Feeding wildlife and leaving pet food outside are both bad practices.

Close all crawl spaces and under-house openings.

To keep wild animals from climbing onto the roof or into the attic, tree limbs should be cut back.

Duties of a Fur Parent

Getting the wild animal away from the pet is the first thing that the owner should do if a pet is bitten or attacked by one, advises the Angel Pet Hospital in Washington.

It is possible by using an object to divert the animal's attention. Owners should evaluate their pet's wounds after the animal has left. The hospital advised owners to seek immediate medical care for their animals if they had sustained serious wounds and to wrap the animal in a towel or blanket as a first aid.

Additionally, pet owners need to make sure their pet has received their rabies vaccination. To make sure their pet didn't contract rabies during the attack, they might need to quarantine them if their pet's vaccination has run out.

Rabies Vaccination

As per the Mecklenburg County Animal Control Ordinance, all owners of dogs, cats, and ferrets are required to vaccinate their animals against rabies. Every second Saturday from 8 to 10:45 AM, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control Unit provides free rabies clinics for residents of Mecklenburg County at its shelter at 8315 Byrum Drive.

For vaccinations at the clinic, pets must be on leashes or in carriers for cats and must have photo IDs. Low-cost vaccination clinics are held at the Humane Society of Charlotte. Online appointment booking is available, and rabies shots can be requested at veterinary visits, The Charlotte Observer reports.