North Carolina Woman Hires Petting Zoo for Family Event, Only for Them to Need Rabies Shots Weeks After: ‘How Crazy’
People from across 10 separate events may have been affected.
A North Carolina family hired a mobile petting zoo for a get-together, only to end up at the hospital getting rabies shots after learning of a confirmed rabies investigation involving the baby goats used. The incident was shared by Taty (@tatyyv) on TikTok, who urged others to contact their health department if they were among those who hired a petting zoo.
“POV: You hire a petting zoo for a family event… and weeks later your entire family and guest are getting rabies shots,” said the on-screen text of Taty’s video. In the video, a man can be seen surrounded by nurses as he gets multiple shots of rabies vaccine in his arms and leg.
According to Taty, she and her family had hired a mobile petting zoo for an event on Aug. 16 in Durham, North Carolina. However, weeks after the event, they learned that there was a confirmed rabies investigation underway involving baby goats from a mobile petting zoo that attended events during that period.
The baby goats weren’t vaccinated
“We are working with Public Health and sharing this so other potentially affected families can get information,” Taty said, describing “how crazy this situation” turned out to be following the family affair. In her caption, she advised others who hired or attended an event with the petting zoo Farm Adventures, between July 27 and Aug. 28, to contact health authorities in case they may need treatment for rabies exposure as well.
With the rising cost of healthcare, viewers encouraged Taty to seek compensation from the mobile petting zoo, saying, “Send the bill to that petting zoo because I’m pretty sure this treatment is $$$$$$$.” Others thought Taty should take action. One viewer wrote, “omg i seen a doctors video on the goats. i’d definitely sue tf out of the mobile petting zoo company. so negligent!”
Some viewers also shared their own experiences with the same petting zoo that led to them getting rabies shots as well. “I also hired them for my kids birthday party and we are in the same boat! It’s crazy, 22 people from the party had to get vaccinated, most of those were children, including my own 2 kids,” the viewer said.
In a separate post, Taty shared an announcement from Farm Adventures regarding the incident. According to the company, they discovered that four of their baby goats had contracted rabies after an encounter with a skunk in their pen in late July, but showed no symptoms. As the goats were too young, they were unable to get vaccinated prior to being bitten. As a result, the four baby goats were euthanized to prevent the spread of rabies to other animals.
Rabies is fatal once it starts
One viewer noted that animals that have not yet received any vaccinations should not be immediately exposed to the public. “If an animal is too young to receive vaccinations, by NO MEANS should it be out in public let alone be used for social/entertainment purposes,” the viewer wrote.
Misty Love, the owner of Farm Adventures, told CNN that they are “closely monitoring our remaining animals under the guidelines provided by health officials.” Reportedly, around 10 locations may have been exposed to rabies, including a back-to-school party and an assisted living facility. State officials are working to notify those who may have been in contact with the goats.
According to Cleveland Clinic, rabies is a serious public health issue that is fatal when not treated immediately. Rabies is most commonly transmitted through bites from an infected animal, and when infected, the virus moves gradually through the nerves towards the brain. If not immediately treated, a person may experience flu-like symptoms, which can escalate to paralysis, seizures, and aggression.
More often than not, once rabies symptoms start to show, it is exceedingly rare for the person to survive. Those who survive often suffer from severe brain damage. As of now, the only way to prevent rabies is to immediately seek treatment before symptoms begin. In a separate incident, an animal suspected to have rabies was spotted aggressively attacking people in the streets of Lebanon, New Hampshire.
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