A Cheshire woman was bitten by a rabid skunk inside her garage on Thursday and police said this second case of rabid skunks in town in two months.
Kim Velleca let her dog outside after she got home from work and felt something brush against her leg. "I stood up and I got halfway before I turned my head and I screamed and I whacked it at the same time," she said.
The skunk staggered down the street to a neighbor's home where an animal control officer shot the skunk after Velleca called police to report the bite.
The skunk was sent to the Connecticut Virology laboratory, where it tested positive for the rabies virus, police said.
Velleca went to a clinic shortly after the bite and received rabies shots. The wound on her finger is healing well.
In late August, another skunk tested positive for rabies after two dogs killed it on Lancaster Way. The dogs were current on their rabies vaccinations at the time of the attack.
Cheshire police and animal control remind residents to make sure their pets are vaccinated against the rabies virus.
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Velleca says her family, friends, and neighbors are having a little fun with the squirrel attack. One neighbor put a sign on her front yard that reads "Caution: Area Patrolled By Attack Skunk."
"It's all in good fun," Velleca said, "Now that everything is O.K. we can all laugh about it a little bit."
If you spot wild animals, such as skunks, that are out during the day or appear sick, call Cheshire Animal Control at 203-271-5590 or the Cheshire Police at 203-271-5500.