FARMINGTON – A raccoon that was seen foaming at the mouth as it wandered through a residential neighborhood was shot and killed Wednesday evening.

Paul Hersey, who lives in Farmington Heights just off of Belcher Road, said he saw the raccoon in the middle of Belcher Road Wednesday night and noticed it was acting odd.

Instead of shying away from cats and dogs like most raccoons do, the animal was approaching pets, Hersey said.

“It was frothing and foaming at the mouth,” he added. “It was acting strange.”

The raccoon was shot and killed, Hersey said.

“We did not want this animal to get near any pets. We also didn’t want to leave it. It was an animal that needed to be taken care of,” he said.

Hersey added that the animal was seen around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday on Anson Street.

Maine Game Warden Tom Jacobs of Farmington came Thursday morning and bagged the animal and took it away, Hersey said.

Mark Latti, spokesman for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, said as it warms up, more raccoons may be out on the prowl, even during the day, looking for food after their winter slumber.

Because no people or pets were bitten, tests will not be done on the raccoon to determine whether it had rabies, but the signs Hersey described it as showing, such as an absence of fear and the foaming at the mouth, are typical symptoms of rabies, Latti agreed.

Residents living in that area should make sure all their pets are up to date on their vaccinations, which are required to be administered every two years. If anyone notices their pet acting oddly, they should call their veterinarian immediately, Latti said.

Rabid animals are not all that uncommon. Over the last few years, several hundred animals in Maine, such as raccoons, skunks and foxes, have tested positive for the disease.

Latti said anyone who suspects a rabid animal should call their local animal control officer or if they fear the sick animal is going to bite a pet or a person, can dispose of it themselves.

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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