Rabid raccoon found in W. Hall

GAINESVILLE - Hall County has its first reported case of rabies this year.

It was in a raccoon which was found last week in West Hall.

Hall County Animal Control says the raccoon had contact with at least one of several stray cats in the Valina Drive area. Animal control caught both the cat and the raccoon after setting traps for them.

Spokeswoman Tammi McClellan says animal control officers had had reports of a number of stray cats in the area and had been trying to catch them. A resident of the area reported the raccoon after spotting it and thinking something might be wrong with it.

A door-to-door canvas was done in the Valina Drive area, cautioning residents to be on the alert for strange-acting animals.