Rabies outbreak kills four goats at petting zoo
Farm Adventures euthanized four baby goats after a skunk bit them while they were too young to be vaccinated. North Carolina health officials confirmed rabies cases.
Anyone who had contact with the goats at events between July 28 and Aug 27, 2026 at their Iredell County location or off-site should contact Mecklenburg County Public Health at 980-314-9400 for assessment. Risk is limited to direct contact, not the general public.
This is exactly the kind of preventable outbreak that happens when petting zoos cut corners on animal welfare and vaccination protocols.
Inbox: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed multiple rabies cases in baby goats at Farm Adventures mobile petting zoo located in Iredell County, which hosts events in the surrounding area. Mecklenburg County residents who had contact with baby goats from the Farm Adventures mobile petting zoo either at their location in Harmony, North Carolina, or at an off-site event, between July 28 and Aug. 27, 2026, should contact Mecklenburg County Public Health immediately at 980-314-9400 for a rabies risk assessment. There is not a broad risk to the public – only those who attended events at the mobile petting zoo and were in close contact with the goats are at risk.
Source
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