Attacks on dogs by rabid raccoons, or the fear of such attacks, resulted in five dogs being euthanized in the past two weeks.

The presence of rabies in the area was first noticed on Saturday, March 11, when a Husky killed a rabid raccoon on Barters Island. As of Sunday, March 19, the dog was under what would have been a state-mandated 45-day quarantine period at its owner's home, when it began acting strangely, according to Animal Control Officer Betsy Pratt.

"It didn't want anything to do with water for two days," Pratt said. "It was coughing and having a hard time breathing."

Since then, the encounters between dogs and raccoons have kept coming.

On Tuesday, March 14 two Golden Retrievers on Barters Island were attacked in an outside pen. Though they killed the raccoon that attacked them, the animals were lapsed on their vaccinations and their owner decided against quarantine.

That incident was followed by a Chow on Barters Island being put to sleep after roaming at large; the possibility of contact with the virus overruling any physical attack marks.

Later in the week, on Friday, March 17, a Pomeranian was attacked in a yard at a Dover Road home, suffering multiple bite wounds. Totally unvaccinated, the animal would have been facing a six-month quarantine, had its owner not chosen euthanasia.

"It's tragic," said Boothbay Animal Hospital veterinarian Dean Domeyer. "The quarantine requirements are stringent. It's hard on the dog and it's hard on the owner."

With no quarantine facility available nearby, pet owners are forced to keep their animals in locked rooms, or double-enclosure pens, limiting contact with the animals to just one person.

"The thing about rabies is not that we're worried about the animals being exposed, said Domeyer. "It's a public health aspect."

Exactly why a high percentage of raccoons are rabid at the moment is hard to pinpoint.

"We don't really know how rabies works in wild animals," Domeyer said. "They're coming out of hibernation so they're acting strangely, but we've been dealing with that for years. It comes in cycles and it's been a while since we had a cycle."

Still, there are steps that pet owners can take to minimize risk to their animals.

Pets should be vaccinated against rabies. The first $25 vaccination is good for a year, Domeyer said, adding that subsequent booster shots are good for three years.

Pet owners should also not allow their animals to roam free.

"Indoor-outdoor cats are a big problem," Domeyer said. "In light of what's going on, we have to be smart about this."

Of utmost importance though, according to the veterinarian, is hygiene.

When exposed to outside air, the virus' lifespan is relatively short, usually not more than an hour. So cleaning outside food dishes, decks and chewing toys with bleach can only help, as can washing any wounds.

"It is a very easy virus to kill if a wound is treated properly," said Domeyer, adding that once infected, the virus is fatal. "Once it really gets hold, there's no stopping it."

Any sightings of sick-looking, or possibly rabid animals should be reported to Pratt by calling 380-3617.

"We don't want people taking it into their own hands," Domeyer said.

Some signs to look for include an overly aggressive personality, and strange acting porcupine-quilled raccoons.

"They don't have a lot of fear of people right now," said Domeyer. "In general, the raccoon should run away. They can be defensive but they should not attack.

"I think we need to be smart in that just because it's not in my backyard doesn't mean I'm safe," he added.

It's a sense of heightened alertness that should be kept up for a while.

"It will probably be the middle of the summer before we see it calm down," said Pratt.