June 22, 2026
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Although some wild animals may seem cute and friendly, Grey Bruce Public Health is reminding residents and visitors that the safest way to enjoy wildlife is from a distance.
“Touching, feeding, petting, picking up, or caring for a wild animal can pose health risks,” says program manager Gillian Jordan. “Interactions with wild animals can result in painful injuries, which may require emergency medical treatment, and the transmission of diseases, including rabies.”
In Ontario, raccoons, foxes, skunks and bats are the most common carriers of rabies, a rare, but serious virus in Canada. Rabies can spread to people through direct contact with the saliva of an infected animal. This can happen when an infected animal bites or scratches someone or when the animal’s saliva comes into contact with a person’s eyes, nose, mouth, or an open wound.
People can reduce their risk of contracting rabies by:
Not interacting with wildlife or trapping or relocating wild animals
Leaving baby animals undisturbed
Teaching children to stay away from wild or stray animals
Keeping pets away from wild animals and not allowing them to roam unsupervised
Wildlife-proofing their home and yard
“While human rabies cases in Ontario are rare, public health must assess every bite or scratch from a wild animal that breaks the skin to determine whether rabies treatment is needed,” says Jordan. “This includes dog-bite incidents.”
As more people spend time outdoors during the summer months, public health typically sees an increase in negative human-animal interactions and dog-bite incidents. The most important thing to do following a dog-bite incident is to exchange contact information.
“This allows public health to quickly follow up with those involved and confirm the dog's rabies vaccination status," says Jordan. "If the dog's health status cannot be verified, the exposed person may require post-exposure rabies treatment, which involves a series of vaccinations over two weeks."
To prevent dog bites, public health advises the following:
Always ask a dog’s owner if it is okay to approach the pet, even if it’s on a leash
Do not approach an unfamiliar dog
Do not touch a dog that’s eating, sleeping, or chewing a toy
Be mindful that sick or injured pets may bite out of fear or confusion
Steer clear of dogs that are loose or unattended or growling or barking
Stay quiet and still if an unknown dog approaches you
Recognize dog body language that could indicate a dog may become aggressive
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