PHILADELPHIA—ACCT Philly and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health received confirmation that a young dog has tested positive for rabies. The dog was between 2-5 months of age and picked up by ACCT Philly animal protection officers around 11pm on Wellens Street near North American Street on Saturday, January 18 after a concerned citizen called in to report the stray puppy. The dog was noted to have facial swelling from a wound on the face and had very damaged teeth. She began showing signs of rabies such as difficulty moving, lethargy and extreme aggression on Wednesday after a medical procedure and was euthanized and sent for testing at the Health Department. The results returned on Friday revealed that she was positive for rabies.
The puppy was likely dumped by a backyard breeder or someone who recently purchased her and after seeing concerning symptoms let the puppy go. In 2024, there was a 69 percent increase in the number of dogs under 5 months old coming into ACCT compared to 2023, with many being dumped by breeders when they don’t sell or when they show signs of illness.
“This is a very unusual and very sad situation, but we want to make sure that the public is made aware so that anyone who came into contact with this puppy can get the appropriate treatment,” said Sarah Barnett, Executive Director, ACCT Philly. “It is hopefully a reminder to the community to ensure your pets are vaccinated, and to not support those who are putting profit above public safety and animal welfare and selling unvaccinated animals.”
This incident is also a reminder that rabies is present in Philadelphia and sometimes infects domestic animals like dogs and cats. It is caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system and is fatal for both humans and animals if proper medical care is not given following an exposure to the virus in a timely manner. Rabies is transmitted by bites and scratches as well as saliva from a rabid animal coming into contact with open wounds, the mouth, eyes or nose.
It is extremely important that anyone who had contact with this puppy or knows any information on where the puppy came from contact the Health Department at (215) 685-6741 during business hours (M-F, 8:30am-5:00pm). The Health Department will assist with identifying additional exposed persons and advise those exposed to receive treatment to prevent rabies, since this infection is fatal. Treatment includes receiving an antibody product against rabies along with 4 doses of rabies vaccine given over a 2-week period.
Everyone should take steps to minimize the risk of exposure to rabies, such as:
- Make sure your pets are vaccinated against rabies at 12 weeks of age and yearly following that, as required by state law. You can view low cost veterinary providers here.
- If you purchase a dog or cat from someone, make sure the dog has proof of a rabies vaccine. Specifically, a rabies vaccine certificate which includes the vaccine information as is signed by a veterinarian.
- If you cannot care for your pet, do not dump them outside. It is illegal and inhumane and can also place the community at risk as this puppy did. Please contact ACCT Philly. We can also provide resources to help you keep your pet, you can learn more here.
- Do not feed wild animals. Feed your pet indoors and don’t let them outside without supervision.
- Make sure children know to avoid trying to touch wild animals or pets they don’t know.
- If you see sick or injured wildlife in Philadelphia, please contact ACCT Philly. Officers will pick up the animal and either take the animal to a wildlife rehabber or euthanize and send the animal out for testing if appropriate. If you come across a deceased animal not on the street, you can contact ACCT Philly. If the deceased animal is on the street, you can contact the streets department. You can read more about assistance for wildlife issues here: https://acctphilly.org/wildlife/
- Report all bites, scratches, and other exposures to animals for any individual from Philadelphia or exposed in Philadelphia to the Health Department by calling 215-685-6748 or faxing a completed Animal Exposure Reporting Form to 215-238-6947. You will be asked to provide information on the human victim and the animal’s location if known.
General information:
- Since 2022, there has only been one other case of a dog testing positive for rabies in Pennsylvania, which was in 2024 also in Philadelphia.
- Historically, Philadelphia has more animals identified with rabies through testing than any other county in Pennsylvania. It is one of the few counties where local animal control picks up wild animals showing signs of rabies such as behaving aggressively or sickly, since these animals are often found in neighborhoods that have higher numbers of people and pets living closely together.
- In 2024, Philadelphia had a preliminary count of 20 animals identified with rabies through testing, half of which were raccoons, and the remaining included cats, skunks, a bat, groundhog, and dog.