Animal Control would like to alert the public to  two separate incidents where  an aggressive fox attacked persons northeast of Yuma.
 

The first attack occurred in the Kofa  Mountains. The victim was bitten and had to undergo post-exposure treatment. In the second incident, a group of hikers were attacked by a single fox in the Muggin Mountains north of Wellton.  The hikers  managed to fend the fox off before anyone was bitten.
 

While we cannot confirm absolutely that the foxes were rabid, these attacks show all the classic signs.  A healthy, unprovoked fox would never attack an adult human in the wild, let alone a group of them. 
 

Last September, a fox in the Wellton area tested positive for rabies after it attacked a dog. Although the dog was not seriously injured in the attack, it had to be euthanized because its rabies vaccination was allowed to lapse. 
If an animal has been exposed to rabies and is unvaccinated, it must either be euthanized and sent to Phoenix for testing or be in quarantine for 180 days at a veterinary hospital or animal shelter at the owner's expense. 
 

"We urge everyone to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves, their families, and their pets from rabid animal attacks while outdoors,"  Sergeant Aaron Action said.  

Protect your pet 

• Make sure your pets (both cats and dogs)  are current with their rabies vaccinations.  If your pet spends time outdoors, vaccination is especially critical. The Humane Society of Yuma would like to remind the public of a vaccination and licensing clinic this Saturday at the Arizona Marketplace from 10am - 1pm.  Visit hsoyuma.com or call 928-782-1621 for more information.
• Keep your dog leashed and maintain control of your dog when outdoors even if they are vaccinated. Vaccinations do not protect your pet from physical injury.

Protect yourself

• Do not hike or camp alone. 
• Carry a sturdy walking stick while hiking to help fend off any attack.
• Do not provoke or take unnecessary preemptive action against an animal you suspect of being rabid. Healthy animals may attack if provoked or to protect their young. Avoidance is your best defense. 
• Make sure at least one person in your group has a  fully-charged cell phone  in case of a medical emergency.

Sally, Sally, Sally, she is just so adorable! Sally is a chihuahua-ewok blend and is still young, maybe just a year old. Sally was picked up hanging out by a school here in Yuma County, no family came looking for her, so we are trying to find a new family to adopt and love her forever. Sally has been spayed, microchipped and is now current with her shots and her rabies vaccine as well.

Sally has a face that you just want to kiss and those ears make her look so cute. Sally's personality is loving, sweet, quite and she always has a happy tail, she also likes to sneak in kisses when she gets the chance! Sally loves everyone and weigs in at a whopping  12.7 lbs. She was already exploring the town on her own but we prefer she has a leash and family to accompany on her journey of life. So come visit Sally and many more of her slightly larger friends. 

Paul Bensel works on piece of jewelry crafted for and auctioned off at last year's Fur Ball.

You can be a part of Fur Ball IV's magic by donating high quality gold or diamondsto be used in creating a and be a part in creating a unique piece of jewelry to be auctioned off at Fur Ball V next September.

As he did for Fur Ball IV, Paul Bensel a designing an original piece to commemorate Fur Ball V and the opening of our new shelter. This year's piece, however, will be crafted from reforged gold and refitted diamonds to create a truly unique masterpiece of the highest quality and hefty weight.

If you have jewelry you no longer wear or broken gold jewelry, we'd love to put it towards the cause of our new shelter. Donattions are tax-deductable and will be accepted at Paul Bensel Jewelers's new location in the Big Curve Shopping Center (928) 344-3344. You can also contact Vicki Kerley at (928) 246-6924 for more information and jewelry pick up.  

The Palms RV Resort is going all out in support of Yuma's needy pets with a concert series over the next couple of months that will benefit the Humane Society of Yuma.  The ticket price to each of these events is $8, $2 of which will be donated to the Humane Society of Yuma. So if you're looking for a fun night out with a low ticket price, why not make it out to The Palms RV Resort?

All dogs three months or older residing in Yuma County must be licensed by March 31st. The license verifies that your dog is current with his/her rabies vaccination.

If your dog is  vaccinated, you may license online beginning January 1st with a scanned or faxed copy of your dog's valid rabies certificate. A valid certificate must be signed by a U.S. licensed veterinarian, state whether your dog is altered or not, and be current through at least April 1st.

If a rabies vaccine expires during the year, your dog must be revaccinated in order to keep the license valid.  A license is invalid during any lapse between the expiration of a vaccination and revaccination.

If your dog needs to be vaccinated, the Humane Society of Yuma holds a number of rabies clinics at locations around the county for your convenience.

 Heidi is just one of many beautiful German Shepherds we have here for adoption. Heidi is a mature girl and very well-mannered. She is about 4years old. Heidi walks good on a leash and loves to snuggle up by your neck when you're on her level. She would be a great best friend to sit by your side and let you give her a big ol' hug and tell her all about your day. 

In addition to our wishlist of ongoing needs, we always have a few particulari tems that we need just a few of. So we've created "The Great HSOY Scavenger Hunt." Help us check off all the items on the list. If you come to our shelter with an item on our list we'll take your picture and post it on our page and we'll check off a box on the list.

Sandy Pikula brought in the bicycle pump that we need to keep the wheels of our several pull wagons and wheel barrows inflated

Jan Watts brought in both a yard and leaf rake.