NEWBERRY COUNTY — A Newberry County Sheriff’s Office deputy was exposed to a potentially rabid coyote while assisting in its removal from a private property after being shot by a citizen in the Beth Eden section of Newberry, the Sheriff’s Office announced via social media on August 30.
In an update posted on Sept. 2, the Sheriff’s Office said the results for the deputy exposed to the coyote came back negative. The post also stated that law enforcement became involved after several other agencies declined to help the homeowner.
Sheriff Lee Foster thanked Pet Care of Newberry for willing to help with the process of determining if the animal was rabid, Newberry Health for their advice on decontamination, and the Department of Public Health employees that were willing to wait until deputies could bring the sample to their lab for testing. Foster went on to say the thought of rabies is very disconcerting to the public and that he appreciates the deputy that was willing to help and was patient to wait through the holiday (Labor Day) to receive the test results.