Bethel police warn residents not to shoot suspected rabid animals in the head

A head shot can ruin the sample that proves whether an animal had rabies, so Bethel police are warning residents not to shoot suspected rabid animals in the head. The intact head goes to a state lab in Fairbanks.

"Rabies is tested through brain samples and if the animal is shot in the head it may mean the tests may not be performed on the animal," the City of Bethel said in its guidance.

Anyone bitten should tell a medical provider right away and contact the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation's Office of Environmental Health and Engineering at 907-543-6420. Police also want reports of dogs or cats showing drooling, an odd gait or sudden mean behavior. Residents are urged to keep pets current on rabies vaccines and to stay away from wildlife acting strangely.

The city reported Feb. 18 that the remains of two foxes in Bethel tested positive for rabies. One of the foxes had attacked a chained dog before police shot it.

The Alaska Department of Health has reported more rabies in land animals since early 2026 in areas where it is always present, including the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Brian Berube of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium told a U.S. House subcommittee in June that dog bite rates among children in the delta run seven to nine times the national average.