There are more confirmed cases of rabies in wild animals this week in Middlesex and Burlington counties. Experts say spring and summer are when people are most likely to encounter a wild, rabid animal.

Dr. Adam Christman is the chief veterinary officer for DVM360. He has spent 22 years as a veterinarian and reaches millions of people on his social media accounts.

“It is common because there’s so much construction that’s happening, and so these furry critters have nowhere else to go, and we’re noticing there’s more of them around.”

He’s using his platform to help educate us about these recent rabies cases in Piscataway, where a bat inside a living room tested positive, and most recently, in Burlington County, where a dog killed a raccoon that also tested positive at Pennington Park in Delanco.

“It can affect any warm-blooded animal, including us so, yeah, that’s right. It can affect possums, foxes, coyotes - it can happen to any of them. Even your pets, that’s why we have to make sure they are vaccinated and current on their rabies vaccine – especially our dogs and cats,” said Dr. Christman.

In New Jersey, it is a state law to have your pets vaccinated for rabies.

“The importance of vaccination is...to prevent us from coming down with it because it’s a zoonotic disease and to prevent our animals from getting it. It’s 100% effective, the rabies vaccine,” he said.

Dr. Christman says most importantly, do not feed wild animals and if you encounter one showing unusual signs, like foaming at the mouth or being unusually aggressive, call your local animal control immediately.

Four years ago, a rabid fox attacked a 4-year-old girl in Jackson unprovoked.

“Coverings around areas of your house, because bats like to come in there, coyotes, even things such as solar lights to prevent these nocturnal animals from coming into your backyard.”

According to the Burlington County Health Department, the dog involved in this week’s incident at Pennington Park was vaccinated for rabies. Its owners are also receiving post-exposure treatment as a precaution.

As of June 30, the New Jersey Health Department reports 68 confirmed cases of rabies statewide in 2025.

Those numbers do not include the recent cases in July and August.