Residents in a New Jersey town are urged to be on the lookout for rabid raccoons that have been terrorizing the neighborhood in recent days.

Just a few days ago, Chis and Carol Onorato let their 2-year-old beagle mix Sophie out into the backyard. A few minutes later, a raccoon came out of no where, in the daylight, and attacked the dog.

“It had a grip on the leg,” Chris Onorato recalled. “I had a fight with the raccoon, kicked it and stepped on it.”

His wife, Carol, threw an umbrella off the deck to help fight off the raccoon, which finally let go of Sophie. Chris then took a bucket and placed it on top of the raccoon while they waited for the Bergen County Animal Control to show up.

But Animal Control arrived and the employee tried to get the raccoon into a cage, the animal bit her and ran off.

There have been a number of attacks: two on dogs and two on humans.

Animal Control said they are urging those with small pets to be on alert. They also want to make sure every pet has received a rabies vaccine.

Vaccination Clinics

Many dangerous infectious diseases can be prevented or lessened in severity with a proper vaccination program. No vaccine is 100% effective, but regular vaccinations are the most effective way to prevent such diseases. Protect your pet from common viruses with annual vaccinations from pet clinics.

What is rabies vaccine?

Rabies is a serious disease caused by a virus. Rabies is mainly a disease of animals. Humans get rabies when they are bitten by an infected animal. There may be no symptoms at first, but weeks or even years after a bite from an infected animal, rabies can cause pain, fatigue, headaches, irritability, fever, seizures, hallucinations, and paralysis. Rabies can be fatal.

You are more likely to be exposed to the rabies virus if you are a veterinarian, animal handler, rabies laboratory worker, or may otherwise come into contact with animals that could possibly carry the virus (including cats, dogs, foxes, skunks, raccoons, bobcats, coyotes, and bats). Travel to certain countries may also increase your risk of exposure to rabies.

Rabies human diploid cell vaccine is used to prevent rabies in people who have been bitten by an animal (post-exposure) or otherwise may be exposed to the rabies virus (pre-exposure).

Like any vaccine, the rabies vaccine may not provide protection from disease in every person.