In mid-February a Longmont, Colo.-area horse was bitten by a skunk, which later tested positive for rabies, according to Boulder County officials. The skunk is the first animal in Boulder County to test positive for rabies this year.

"Fortunately, the horse in this situation had previously been vaccinated (against rabies) and it is under the care of vets from the Colorado Department of Agriculture," a representative from Boulder County Public Health (BCPH) told The Horse.

Still, local human and animal health agencies are urging residents to have their horses vaccinated against the disease, a BCPH statement said.

“Rabies in ground-dwelling animals increases the risk of rabies exposure to pets and livestock,” Lane Drager, BCPH Consumer Protection Program coordinator, said in the statement

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