It could be a time bomb.
Westchester County health officials are pleading with two good Samaritans who dropped off a rabid cat at a Yonkers veterinary clinic to come forward because they may have been infected with the deadly disease.
The two anonymous individuals were caught on surveillance camera performing a good deed last week, but left without telling shelter staff their names and could face potentially deadly health risks.
“Rabies is deadly, but 100% preventable with post-exposure treatment,” said Dr. Sharita Amler, county health commissioner. said in a statement this week..
“If you see an injured or sick animal, please call the police,” Amler said. “Children should be reminded not to approach or touch unfamiliar animals, even if they are young, injured, or appear friendly, and to immediately respond if they are bitten or scratched by an animal. Please let me know.”
But for the good people of Yonkers, this warning came too late. County officials said they were only trying to save a 1-year-old cat who may have been hit by a car.
The cat was dropped off at Yonkers Animal Hospital on Sawmill River Road just before 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 12 and later tested positive for rabies, the health department said.
Security camera footage from the scene showed a man wearing a red checked jacket, khaki pants and a black hat, and a woman wearing a black jacket carrying a cat in a beige tote bag.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 60,000 people in the United States are treated each year after being exposed to rabies.
Rabies is a viral disease that is transmitted from animals to humans and can be fatal if untreated.
There is no indication that the Good Samaritan in Yonkers was infected, but the county wants to be sure.
“Unusual behavior can be the first sign of rabies in an animal,” the county said in a press release. “Animals infected with rabies may become unusually aggressive or unusually docile.
“They may lose their fear of humans, become agitated and irritable, or appear particularly passive and lethargic,” the release states. “Staggering and foaming at the mouth are sometimes observed.”
