A racoon killed in Woolwich earlier this week by a Sagadahoc Sheriff’s deputy has tested positive for rabies. The Woolwich town office received confirmation from Maine’s Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory Wednesday afternoon, March 18.

Woolwich Animal Control Officer Terry MacGregor said a homeowner saw the animal acting strangely outside their home Monday on Pasture Road and telephoned the Sagadahoc Sheriff’s Department. A deputy shot the animal which MacGregor transported to Woodbrook Animal Clinic in Woolwich.

“It’s the first animal in Woolwich that’s ever tested positive on my watch,” she said. MacGregor has had the job since 2001. Pasture Road is in a wooded area off Barley Neck Road, about a half mile from Hockomock Road.

“The homeowner did the right thing by staying inside and reporting it,” she added.

Although there have been a number of fairly recent rabies cases involving foxes in Bath and West Bath, this is the first case of rabies confirmed in Woolwich. In response, Selectmen’s Chair David King Sr. said Woolwich Fire Department will be hosting a clinic at the station, offering rabies vaccination shots for dogs and cats.

The tentative date is Thursday, April 9 from 4 to 6 p.m. The cost is $15 per shot. Tammy Doughty, DVM and owner of Woodbrook Animal Clinic, will be the attending veterinarian. “Because of the COVID-19 concerns, we’ll only be allowing one person at a time into the fire station with their pet,” said King. He added, the clinic date was subject to change.

For information and advice on rabies, call Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s disease reporting and consultation line at 1-800-821-5821.