OUTBREAK ALERT:
The Los Angeles County Veterinary Public Health & Rabies Control Program has identified an outbreak of distemper in wild raccoon populations across Los Angeles County. Although none of the cases have been identified in Long Beach, clusters of cases have been identified in several areas across the county including San Gabriel mountain foothill communities, Rancho Palos Verdes communities and Seal Beach. The disease has also spread to other species, including dogs, coyotes, foxes and skunks. Due to the close proximity of the cases, Long Beach residents are advised to be vigilant for signs and symptoms of distemper in their pet dogs.
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(
Is the out of control squirrel population in San Pedro at risk for contracting a disease similar to what made the raccoons sick? It seems to me to the squirrel population is way too big, destroying backyard fruit, being a nuisance at the parks, etc.