"I heard screeching like he was on his last legs and I ran down to the back and there was a raccoon hanging off his lower jaw," Thayer said.
When Douglas appeared, the raccoon dropped off Amos and hid under a pile of scrap wood. Using a cage and some food as bait, Douglas trapped the raccoon himself and hurried Amos to the vet for a rabies booster.
"He's had several rabies shots and because of that he has less than a 1% chance, according to the veterinarian, of contracting the disease, that still makes me edgy. I'd like to see a 0%," Thayer said.
Amos has not tested positive, but will be quarantined for three months.
As for the raccoon, it was already dead by the time they returned from the vet and called Animal Control. The raccoon was turned over for testing and found positive for rabies, according to The State Department of Agriculture.
Douglas said the raccoon looked lethargic and the normally nocturnal animal was out during the daytime, but other than that, it showed no other symptoms. But according to the Department of Agriculture not all rabid animals show every sign, and some don't show any other than death.
LINK: Click here for more information on rabies from thePA Department of Agriculture
