North Carolina state law requires all dogs, cats and ferrets that bite people to be quarantined for 10 days. If the animal has a current rabies vaccination, this quarantine may take place at home at the discretion of CMPD Animal Care & Control. If the animal is not currently vaccinated against rabies, this quarantine must be done at a veterinary hospital or Animal Care & Control. The purpose of this quarantine is to ensure the animal did not transmit the rabies virus to the bite victim.

If a wild animal bites or scratches a person and is apprehended, the animal will be euthanized so its brain can be tested for the presence of the rabies virus. If the wild animal is positive or it cannot be caught, the bite victim will be advised to take the post-exposure rabies shots.

If a wild animal bites a dog or any domestic animal, the course of action depends on the vaccination status of the dog. If the dog has a current rabies shot, the pet only needs to receive a booster vaccination. The wild animal will not be tested for rabies unless there is also a human exposure. If the dog is not currently vaccinated and the wild animal is apprehended, it will be quarantined at Animal Care & Control until the rabies test results on the wild animal are received. If the rabies test is negative, the dog can be reclaimed. If the rabies test is positive or the wild animal was not caught, the dog must be euthanized or quarantined for six months at the owner's expense, thus rabies vaccinations for your pet are extremely important.