Skunk attacks dog: first confirmed case of rabies in Winnipeg since 2006

WINNIPEG – A confirmed case of rabies has officials with Winnipeg’s Animal Services Agency urging pet owners to vaccinate their dogs and cats.

Officials say tests on a skunk that recently attacked a Labrador mix dog came back positive for the fatal disease.

They say it’s the first documented case of rabies in the city since 2006.

The dog is alive, in good condition and under a quarantine managed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s animal health division.

Rabies targets the central nervous system and is primarily transmitted by saliva, normally through a bite from an infected animal.