Obviously I'm more concerned about rabies than most people (thus this blog) but of all the news stories about living with wild animals, only a few actually mention rabies.
This excellent story states:
I hope you are paying attention. This isn't just another dog walker story. There is real and not imagined potential that you and/or your dog may encounter a rabid raccoon in one of our parks. It is imperative that you make sure your dogs rabies vaccinations are current--especially if you continue to take the risk of leaving your dogs walking around off leash while you pay no attention to where they are and what they're doing. And please don't let those dad-blasted retractable leads give you a false sense of security. If you aren't keeping your dog at your side, you're taking a risk.
So pay attention, city dwellers!
Good discussion on
WYPR about wildlife (but alas, no rabies discussion)