(July 21, 2016) One rabid cat in West Ocean City, and the fate of other feral cats at the same location have generated hundreds of emails and even spurred a small protest by feline protection activists last Thursday at the government center in Snow Hill.
At Tuesday’s Worcester County Commissioner meeting, however, Worcester County Health Officer Debbie Goeller said the department plans to remove and euthanize a colony of feral cats near the Ocean Village condominiums in West Ocean City.
The rabid cat reported to the department came from that colony.
Goeller said her department was contacted on June 11 by a veterinarian’s office after a cat that appeared to be rabid was spotted by a family renting an Ocean Village unit.
“This cat needed to be euthanized and was sent to the state rabies laboratory for testing.”
Four days later, the state confirmed that the cat was rabid, Goeller said, at which time her department posted rabies advisory notices in the complex.
“We also went door to door to determine if additional people or pets had been exposed to this rabid cat,” she said. “That is our normal procedure.”
After seeing a picture of the rabid cat, several residents confirmed they had seen the cat in question in the area.
“After those risk-exposure assessments were performed, it was determined that three individuals, two adults and a child, required post-exposure rabies treatment,” she said. “This is not a small matter. It is a significant expense and a significant discomfort and a significant disruption to those individuals.”
Based on this information, Goeller said the health department determined that all the cats living in the colony had been exposed to rabies.
“Therefore the remaining cats needed to be removed from the community and humanely euthanized,” she said. “Ocean Village property management was contacted and advised that the remaining cats on the property should be removed.”
According to Goeller, the management company cooperated and authorized Worcester County Animal Control to set traps to catch and remove the cats, which was done on June 16.
“No cats were able to be trapped until June 28,” she said. “In large part they were unable to be trapped because someone was continuing to feed those cats.”
Goeller said cats have ranked third in the state for testing positive for rabies over the last year — “second only to raccoons and bats and they are the highest among domestic animals.”
Goeller said the releasing any animal that has been exposed to rabies could result in additional human and animal exposures.
“Cats can incubate rabies up to a full six months,” she said. “It’s possible for a full six-month time period those cats can be incubating rabies and could begin shedding the virus at any time.”
Numerous cat lovers asked whether a rabies test on the cat colony might be conducted.
“While a cat is incubating rabies, there is no test that will show whether the cat is incubating rabies or not,” she said. “You can only test for rabies once the disease takes hold of the cat.”
Commissioner Joe Mitrecic called the situation unfortunate and said he was not apprised of the June 11 situation until later.
“I didn’t know about it until July 15 when the first 600 emails came to me,” he said. “This board has to know about situations like this because we have to answer to the public. You all don’t, we do.”
In the meantime, Worcester County Animal Control personnel have received threats for their role in the colony cleanup.
“We have had people calling that threatened our lives, our homes, (saying) we’re pieces of crap, we should die and our children aren’t worthy of having parents like us,” Sue Rantz, chief animal control officer, told the commissioners.
When a potentially rabid animal bites someone, quarantine procedures could be followed with the proper documentation and certification of ownership, Rantz said.
“No one could provide that information,” she said. “We had four different ladies calling saying that they were the owner of the cat,” she said. “Without that certification, the cat is not allowed to leave the shelter without having an owner in Worcester County and certification through the health department.”
Commissioner Chip Bertino asked why the county allows the feral cat colonies to exist.
“I believe we need to consider making some laws,” Rantz replied.
Commissioner Bud Church asked what could be done to address the threats made to animal control and health department personnel.
“They (the callers and email writers) have every right to ask questions, but they don’t have the right to threaten someone,” he said. “I would like to see us follow through to make those people pay for what they’ve done."
At Tuesday’s Worcester County Commissioner meeting, however, Worcester County Health Officer Debbie Goeller said the department plans to remove and euthanize a colony of feral cats near the Ocean Village condominiums in West Ocean City.
The rabid cat reported to the department came from that colony.
Goeller said her department was contacted on June 11 by a veterinarian’s office after a cat that appeared to be rabid was spotted by a family renting an Ocean Village unit.
“This cat needed to be euthanized and was sent to the state rabies laboratory for testing.”
Four days later, the state confirmed that the cat was rabid, Goeller said, at which time her department posted rabies advisory notices in the complex.
“We also went door to door to determine if additional people or pets had been exposed to this rabid cat,” she said. “That is our normal procedure.”
After seeing a picture of the rabid cat, several residents confirmed they had seen the cat in question in the area.
“After those risk-exposure assessments were performed, it was determined that three individuals, two adults and a child, required post-exposure rabies treatment,” she said. “This is not a small matter. It is a significant expense and a significant discomfort and a significant disruption to those individuals.”
Based on this information, Goeller said the health department determined that all the cats living in the colony had been exposed to rabies.
“Therefore the remaining cats needed to be removed from the community and humanely euthanized,” she said. “Ocean Village property management was contacted and advised that the remaining cats on the property should be removed.”
According to Goeller, the management company cooperated and authorized Worcester County Animal Control to set traps to catch and remove the cats, which was done on June 16.
“No cats were able to be trapped until June 28,” she said. “In large part they were unable to be trapped because someone was continuing to feed those cats.”
Goeller said cats have ranked third in the state for testing positive for rabies over the last year — “second only to raccoons and bats and they are the highest among domestic animals.”
Goeller said the releasing any animal that has been exposed to rabies could result in additional human and animal exposures.
“Cats can incubate rabies up to a full six months,” she said. “It’s possible for a full six-month time period those cats can be incubating rabies and could begin shedding the virus at any time.”
Numerous cat lovers asked whether a rabies test on the cat colony might be conducted.
“While a cat is incubating rabies, there is no test that will show whether the cat is incubating rabies or not,” she said. “You can only test for rabies once the disease takes hold of the cat.”
Commissioner Joe Mitrecic called the situation unfortunate and said he was not apprised of the June 11 situation until later.
“I didn’t know about it until July 15 when the first 600 emails came to me,” he said. “This board has to know about situations like this because we have to answer to the public. You all don’t, we do.”
In the meantime, Worcester County Animal Control personnel have received threats for their role in the colony cleanup.
“We have had people calling that threatened our lives, our homes, (saying) we’re pieces of crap, we should die and our children aren’t worthy of having parents like us,” Sue Rantz, chief animal control officer, told the commissioners.
When a potentially rabid animal bites someone, quarantine procedures could be followed with the proper documentation and certification of ownership, Rantz said.
“No one could provide that information,” she said. “We had four different ladies calling saying that they were the owner of the cat,” she said. “Without that certification, the cat is not allowed to leave the shelter without having an owner in Worcester County and certification through the health department.”
Commissioner Chip Bertino asked why the county allows the feral cat colonies to exist.
“I believe we need to consider making some laws,” Rantz replied.
Commissioner Bud Church asked what could be done to address the threats made to animal control and health department personnel.
“They (the callers and email writers) have every right to ask questions, but they don’t have the right to threaten someone,” he said. “I would like to see us follow through to make those people pay for what they’ve done."