Civic Alert from Pinal County Animal Care and Control and Public Health Services
Posted February 21, 2025
Pinal County Animal Care and Control and the Pinal County Public Health Services District are jointly issuing a rabies advisory in the western Maricopa area of Pinal County. A gray fox collected in this area tested positive for rabies at the Arizona State Public Health Laboratory.
The identification of rabid animals statewide serves as a reminder of the potential for rabies in wild animals in Arizona. Rabies is an infectious disease that affects the nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord of animals and humans. It is caused by a virus present in the saliva of infected animals and is transmitted to humans through contact with the live virus. Rabies is fatal to humans once symptoms appear. There is no test to screen for rabies.
While human exposure to rabid animals is rare, family pets are more often exposed to wild animals, including wild animals that are rabid. Vaccination against rabies is available through your veterinarian and will prevent pets from getting rabies if exposed to a rabid animal. Pinal County Animal Care and Control has the following reduced-cost vaccination clinics offered throughout the county, with rabies vaccination for $10.00. For additional information, please visit: www.pinal.gov/AnimalCareControl
| Date | Time | Location | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 22, 2025 | 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Florence Multi-purpose Fields (across from the aquatic center) | 174 N 1st St Florence, AZ 85132 |
| March 1, 2025 | 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM | San Manuel Sheriff’s Office | 28380 S Veterans Memorial Hwy San Manuel, AZ 85631 |
| March 15, 2025 | 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM | EMC 103 | 1150 S Eleven Mile Corner Rd Casa Grande, AZ 85194 |
| April 12, 2025 | 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM | Caboose Park | 830 HWY US-60 Superior, AZ 85173 |
| April 26, 2025 | 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM | EMC 103 | 1150 S Eleven Mile Corner Rd Casa Grande, AZ 85194 |
The first sign of rabies is usually a change in the animal’s behavior. Animals may act more aggressively or be more tamed than usual. Rabid animals may appear agitated and excited or paralyzed and frightened. Sometimes, rabid animals do not show any signs of illness before death from rabies, so this is why contact with wild animals should always be avoided.
Pinal County Officials recommend the following precautions:
- Keep people and pets away from wild animals. Do not pick up, touch, or feed wild or unfamiliar animals, especially sick or wounded ones.
- If you have been bitten or scratched, wash the area with soap and water and go to the nearest emergency room for medical care.
- Do not “rescue” seemingly abandoned young wild animals. Usually, the mother will return. If the mother is dead or has not returned in many hours, call the Arizona Game and Fish Department at (800) 352-0700.
- Vaccinate all dogs and cats against rabies. Pets should be kept in a fenced yard.
- Take precautions when camping, hunting, or fishing. Avoid sleeping on the open ground without the protection of a closed tent or camper. Keep pets on a leash, and do not allow them to wander.
- Do not disturb roosting bats. If you find a bat on the ground, do not touch it. Report the bat and its location to your local animal control officer or health department. Place a box over the bat to contain it. Be careful not to damage the bat in any way since it must be intact for rabies testing.
For more information about rabies, please visit www.cdc.gov/rabies.
Additional resources:
pinal.gov/AnimalCareControl | pinal.gov/PublicHealth | https://www.facebook.com/pinalhealth | https://x.com/pinalhealth
