This past June, Baltimore City health officials warned residents about several foxes that tested positive for rabies near Stony Run Park in Roland Park. The animals were picked up near the park’s trail corridors — the kind of green space that connects neighborhoods and that dogs walk through every single day. Officials confirmed there could be more foxes from the same den still in the area.

This is not a distant problem. Stony Run runs through our walk routes. Druid Hill Park borders them. Wildlife doesn’t respect neighborhood boundaries, and neither does rabies. We’ve seen more wildlife moving around in the parks and neighborhoods this summer than in any year we can remember.

Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, typically via a bite. It is fatal in humans once symptoms appear. In pets, an up-to-date rabies vaccine is not just a legal requirement in Maryland — it is the only real protection your dog or cat has if they have contact with an infected animal.

Summer is when this matters most. Wildlife is active. Dogs are spending more time outside. Encounters with foxes, raccoons, and bats increase. If your pet’s vaccine has lapsed, now is the time to fix that.

Some Helpful Information from Melanie, our Veterinary Technician on Staff

Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system of mammals, including wildlife, pets, livestock, and humans. It is most commonly spread through the saliva of an infected animal, usually by a bite, although saliva entering an open wound or mucous membrane can also transmit the virus. 

Once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal. In animals, the virus travels from the site of exposure to the brain, causing inflammation that leads to severe neurological damage. Early signs may include fever, lethargy, changes in behavior, or loss of appetite. As the disease progresses, animals may become unusually aggressive or unusually tame, have difficulty swallowing, drool excessively, stagger, appear disoriented, or develop paralysis. In the final stages, paralysis worsens, breathing becomes impaired, and death follows. 

The time between exposure and the onset of symptoms (the incubation period) is highly variable, ranging from a few weeks to several months, and occasionally longer. Once clinical signs develop, the disease progresses rapidly, with most animals dying within a few days to about a week. Because rabies is nearly always fatal after symptoms begin, prompt medical or veterinary evaluation after any potential exposure is critical, as post-exposure treatment can prevent the disease if given before symptoms appear.

Rabies vaccines protect pets by stimulating their immune systems to produce antibodies that can quickly recognize and neutralize the rabies virus before it reaches the brain and nervous system. Because rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms develop, vaccination is the most effective way to prevent the disease.

 For protection to remain effective, pets must receive their initial vaccination followed by any required booster doses according to local laws and their veterinarian’s recommendations. Depending on the vaccine used, boosters are typically required every one or three years. A pet is considered “currently vaccinated” only if its rabies vaccination has not expired; if a vaccine lapses, the animal may be considered unvaccinated under public health regulations, even if it previously received the vaccine.

If you believe your pet has been exposed to rabies, avoid direct contact with the animal’s saliva and safely confine your pet to prevent further contact with people or other animals. 

If your pet has a bite wound, wear gloves if available and gently flush the wound with soap and running water, as this can help reduce the amount of virus present. Do not attempt to capture or handle the wild animal responsible unless it can be done safely. Contact your veterinarian or an emergency veterinary clinic immediately for guidance, as prompt evaluation and a rabies booster or quarantine may be necessary depending on your pet’s vaccination status and the circumstances of the exposure.

 If you had direct contact with the potentially rabid animal or its saliva through a bite, scratch, or open wound, contact a healthcare provider promptly, as rabies post-exposure treatment is highly effective when started before symptoms develop.

For Baltimore-area pet owners, rabies is more than a distant concern—it’s a disease that continues to circulate in local wildlife, particularly raccoons and bats. Keeping your pet’s rabies vaccination current, avoiding contact with wild animals, and reporting unusual wildlife behavior are simple steps that help protect your pets, your family, and your community. If you ever suspect your pet has been exposed to a potentially rabid animal, don’t wait—contact your veterinarian immediately. Quick action can make all the difference.

What to do if your pet isn’t current on rabies

Get it done. Here’s where in Baltimore:

BARCS — Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter holds low-cost vaccine clinics the first Saturday of most months, 9am to noon. Rabies vaccine is $6. Baltimore City residents only. Cash preferred. Arrive early — lines get long.

Vetco Clinics — mobile low-cost clinics operating on weekends and some weeknights throughout the Baltimore area. No exam fees.

Baltimore County Animal Services — $9 per pet, includes free microchipping and pet license. County residents only. Spring and fall clinics.

And of course, your regular vet. If cost is the barrier, the options above exist specifically for that reason. There is no good reason to let a rabies vaccine lapse, especially in a summer like this one.

If you have questions about your pet’s vaccine status and you’re a Deez Muttz client, ask us. We track this stuff. It matters to us too — we’re the ones out there with your dog when the foxes are. This isn’t meant to scare or catastrophize, but knowing what to do, and how to manage it is the best course of action for all your pets.