Animal Bites

Emergency Information

Immediately wash all animal bites with soap and water. Get medical help at once, call your doctor or go to the nearest hospital. Be sure to report any bite from domestic or wild animals to the Howell Township Police Department at (732) 938-4111.

If you have been bitten by a dog or a cat, obtain as much information as you can about the pet or stray. Take down a description of the animal, its' license number, owner's address and telephone number and the animal's vaccination status.

If you have been bitten by a wild animal, try to confine or isolate the animal while taking care to prevent further bites or exposure. The animal will need to be tested as soon as possible.

Rabies continues to be present in a number of wild, warm-blooded animals, especially raccoons. Never touch any wild animals, even if it is dead or injured.

Bats

While only a small percent of bats carry rabies, they are still responsible for most of the cases of human rabies. Avoid all contact with any bat, but especially those behaving unusually (fluttering on the floor, flying in midday or having difficulty flying).

A bat bite can be superficial, painless, and heal rapidly. Any time a bat is physically present and you cannot be certain that there has been no contact, or if a bat is found in the room with a sleeping child, assume there has been an exposure. Safely capture the bat for rabies testing by using heavy protective gloves, tongs, or a shovel to secure the bat in a coffee can or other tightly covered container. Contact the Howell Township Police Department at (732) 938-4111.

Feral Cats

Free roaming, unowned (stray) or feral (wild) cat communities can carry several diseases that may jeopardize human health. These diseases include rabies and other bite infections such as cat scratch fever, plaque, and toxoplasmosis. Cat colonies also can harbor diseases that can infect domestic cats including the feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency viruses.

While some people may choose to manage these colonies by feeding the wild cats, proper management should also include rabies vaccination and neutering. In addition, maintenance of feral communities is a big responsibility unless you are prepared to take that commitment it may encourage irresponsible cat ownership by offering a home for free-roaming and abandoned pets.