VIRGINIA BEACH -- A raccoon killed by a dog in one Virginia Beach neighborhood tested positive for rabies, putting residents on edge.

The animal was found in the King’s Grant area of the city, and while neighbors were alerted quickly, they remain on the lookout for any future wild animals that might prowl their streets.

Wednesday night, every phone within a half mile of where the rabid raccoon was discovered on Sunnybrook Lane received an alert message, according to Va. Beach Health District Officials.

Brown Carpenter was one of the over 1,200 neighbors who got the alert through a reverse 911 system.

Carpenter has lived in the King’s Grant area since the 1980’s, and while he’s seen raccoons in his yard in the past, he says he and his dogs have never had a run-in with a rabid raccoon.

“One thing, if there’s one in the back yard, as soon as you open the door, they would be barking like bird dogs. They go after things like that,” he said.

Char Russell and her family got the call at the dinner hour, and say while it was helpful, it was also a little unclear.

“It wasn’t clear to me whether this raccoon had been captured or killed or whatever,” said Russell. “It is still wandering around someplace?”

Va. Beach Health District officials say rabid raccoons are endemic in our area, and in this case say it’s fortunate no pets or people were hurt.

“In this particular case, the animal was protected, which is good. It went to the vet and got a booster,” said Skip Scanlon of the Va. Beach Health District. “The animal had up-to-date rabies vaccination. If there’s any one thing we could emphasize, we’d like to emphasize that the animal that is protected, the cat or the dog that’s up to date on their rabies.”
Even though the raccoon was killed, the City put out the alerts because pets or people may have been exposed to the rabid animal.

If you have concerns, you're asked to call your doctor or the Health Department.