Alachua Animal Control
This morning a resident had a young racoon enter their garage around 10:00 AM. He was not afraid of people or of the resident’s dog who was barking at it. The racoon then tried to enter the house when they were going back inside. The resident was able to remove the raccoon from the garage, and it then staggered around the house to then retreat under a parked vehicle. It was not overtly aggressive, but it could barely stand or walk. Alachua County Animal Control was contacted and was able to remove the racoon from the SW 6th Ave area. today. The Alachua County Animal Control Officer stated that it was likely rabies, since there have been an excessive number of raccoons that have succumbed to it this year in Alachua County. They also stated that residents should be on the lookout for any animals (stray cats, dogs, or other wildlife) that are acting abnormal or out of character. Especially families with young children, who may be more prone to wanting to pet these animals. If you see an animal that is not acting normal, you need to contact the Alachua Animal Control Center at (352) 264-6870. They are not open on Mondays, but you can contact an Officer if it is an emergency, and they will send someone out.