A raccoon killed by two dogs in Landings neighborhood tested positive for the rabies virus last week. Although the dogs had proof of current rabies vaccination, they were also administered boosters to protect them. This is a reminder to pet owners that your pets, dogs, cats and even ferrets, need the yearly rabies vaccine as required by Georgia state law.

Here are some additional precautions to take:

1. Do NOT handle, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or by leaving pet food out overnight.

2. Never bring wild or stray animals into your home. Call Animal Control or an animal rescue agency for assistance.

3. Teach children to NEVER handle unfamiliar animals - wild or domestic - even if they appear friendly.

If you are bitten by an animal, you should call your local police department as well as county health department (in Chatham, 356-2160). Animals who have bitten a person will be subject to a 10 day quarantine to monitor for signs of rabies.

Trapping feral cats is a science, and The Milton Project volunteers need items to assist them in their quest.

Now offering a trap loan program, The Milton Project is seeking supplies to aid new trappers in their efforts. Among the requested items are:

• Small spice containers (Plastic Only)
• Medium Size Gloves
• Flashlights and batteries, preferably those that may hook on belt loops
• Hand-held can openers
• Puppy training pads
• Canned Tuna and Mackeral
• KFC coupons (specifically for any chicken only buckets)
• Bath sheets and beach towels
• Blankets
• Buckets to hold supplies for trappers

To donate items, please contact trapping coordinator Sherry Montgomery at sherry@coastalpetrescue.org or 912.351.4151.

Coastal Pet Rescue’s feral cat program, The Milton Project, was founded in 2005 to address the overwhelming number of feral cats in the Savannah area. Since its inception, The Milton Project has trapped over 300 cats, preventing 126,000,000 more cats from roaming the Savannah streets.* For more information, visit www.themiltonproject.org.

*This statistic is based off of studies by The Humane Society of the United States that in seven years, one female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats.

Tragedy has already struck one family when their Chihuahua was killed when an air bag deployed during a car crash last Friday. Coastal Pet Rescue has some tips for how you can avoid such a fate when traveling with your pets.

In a society where you can rent cars, furniture, TVs and computers, should we be surprised when a company offers the option to rent a pet? Our president Lisa Scarbrough sounds off on an Early Show story showcasing FlexPetz, a new company that provides a service, they say, to those who love dogs but just don’t have the time for lifetime ownership.

This week, Ellen DeGeneres replaced her usual humorous and witty opening monologue on her show with a plea to Mutts and Moms rescue to return a dog she adopted and then gave to another family. Per the adoption agreement between DeGeneres and Mutts and Moms, if the adoption did not work out, DeGeneres was to return the dog to the rescue, not give it away.

This topic is making its way around the net and becoming a hot topic around water coolers and on the airwaves. Coastal Pet Rescue founder and president Lisa Scarbrough chose to tackle the issue head on, giving an explanation as to why rescues have return policies.