Pets & Wildlife Encounters: A Brief Guide

Dogs, cats, and other pets can be territorial, and if a raccoon or other wildlife hangs around your property, it’s possible that they can get into a scuffle. You may think that your pet has the ability to beat the raccoon or fox but remember, wildlife can carry a wide range of diseases. Even if your pet does win the fight, they can still become infected with any number of diseases. Here’s what you can do before, during, and after your pet encounters wildlife on your property. 

Precautions Before an Encounter

Before your pet encounters any wildlife, it’s important that you take preventative measures. You should have your pets vaccinated for viral diseases. Additionally, you can prevent raccoons and other wildlife from visiting your home by removing all potential food and water sources. Wildlife usually will visit your house in search of food. Lastly, if there are active raccoons, foxes, or other known wildlife in your neighborhood, you should keep an eye out for them while your pet is outside. Never leave your pet unattended for long periods of time outside. 

Act Quickly During an Encounter

Most of the time wild animals will run off when they hear a human or dog, but sometimes they will fight your pet. If you see or hear your dog fighting a raccoon or other wild animal, there are things you can do to stop the fight. You can stop the fight either by implementing the “shovel method” or by pulling the animals apart. Both methods involve putting on protective gear.

The “shovel method” is the best way to separate your dog and the wild animal. This method involves grabbing a long object such as a shovel, rake, or bat and using it to separate the animals. When doing this, make sure you’re focused on pushing the wild animal away instead of your dog.

If you do not have a long object, you can opt to physically separate the two animals. When physically separating the animals, always try to use your lower body to get between them rather than your torso or arms.  If you can, wear protective equipment. Physically separating two animals is a very dangerous activity and everyone involved can be seriously hurt. Only do this in an emergency. 

Assess the Damage After the Encounter

After separating the animals, make sure your pet is safe. You need to examine their body for wounds of any kind and if you find them, take your pet to the vet as soon as possible. Even a small wound could become very serious if the wild animal was carrying rabies or if the wound is left to become infected. Tell your vet exactly what happened and call an animal removal expert right away. 

Animal Removal from the Pros

If your pet has recently encountered a wild animal, Bay Area Wildlife can help remove it. Our expert animal removal specialists will safely remove the wildlife from your home and ensure that your home doesn’t attract more critters. You and your pet’s safety is important. Don’t try to remove a wild animal on your own. Contact us today for expert animal removal in Maryland and Delaware.