THE OLDEST WEEKLY NEWSPAPER IN THE CANADIAN WEST

Vol. 128 No. 20 Friday, July 23, 2010 Minnedosa, Manitoba Canada R0J 1E0 90 cents + tax

Minnedosa Vet Clinic Homeward bound in homemade plane

euthanizes rabid skunk
By MIRANDA LEYBOURNE

A fter a rabid skunk attacked two dogs that were tied up

and sitting beside a camper at Minnedosa Beach, the
Minnedosa Vet Clinic was forced to capture and eutha-
nize the animal. Further tests showed that the skunk did
indeed have rabies.
Rabies is a viral disease that leads to acute inflam-
mation of the brain in warm-blooded animals which is
usually caused from a bite from an infected animal. The
disease is fatal if a post-exposure antidote is not adminis-
tered before severe symptoms set in. Early warning signs
of having contracted the virus include malaise, headache
and fever, progressing to acute pain, violent movements,
incontrollable excitement, depression and hydropho-
bia. Eventually, a person who contracts rabies and does
not have it treated can fall into a coma, with the primary
cause of rabies-related deaths being respiratory insuffi-
ciency.
Alicia George, a veterinarian at the Minnedosa Vet
Clinic, says the owners of the two dogs were immediately
contacted after the test results were in. Now her main
message to the public is to make sure all pets get their
proper vaccines.
“Why take the risk? The biggest thing people have to
realize from this scenario is that even if their animals are
indoors or are staying in their yard, there’s still a risk of
them being exposed to rabies -- even indoor cats,” she
explains. “All it takes is a bat to come into the house...all
it takes is one exposure to it. Why take the risk when all it
takes to prevent it is a vaccine beforehand?”
Rabies is not just a concern for animals, George says,
but also affects humans. The most common animals that
carry the virus include bats, skunks, raccoons and foxes, Photo by Darryl Holyk
although when humans contract the disease it is usually
due to bites from dogs that have also contracted the virus. George Inman is pictured above with his RV-8 plane which he built over a seven-year period.
George says the rabies vaccine costs $55, and can be George flew the plane from Winnipeg to Minnedosa and back last Tuesday.
administered at the same time a pet is brought in for their
annual exam. By DARRYL HOLYK fore heading back home to hand built by George over finished it in about 2008.”
In 1979, the Van Houweling Research Laboratory of Winnipeg. Accompanying a seven-year period. George’s aircraft has
the Silliman University Medical Centre in the Philippines
developed and produced a vaccine for dogs, which was
later used as a model by other countries. September 28th
O n Tuesday afternoon,
George Inman landed
his homemade airplane at
George on the flight was
friend and co-pilot, Tony
Butt.
“I used to own a Piper
Warrior and flew for seven
or eight years,” explained
only 50 hours of flying on
it and Tuesday’s trip to
Minnedosa was one of the
is World Rabies Day, which looks to promote the aware- Ken Kane Aerial Spray Ltd. The plane the two George. “Then I quit fly- furthest treks he’s taken
ness, prevention and elimination of the virus. to meet up with his cousin, travelled to Minnedosa ing for about ten years. I the plane on.
Jim Clark to enjoy a cup of in is a RV-8 kit airplane decided to get back into it Continued
coffee and brief visit be- by Van’s Aircraft that was and built my own plane. I on Page 2

The Minnedosa Tribune will be CLOSED from

August 7th to August 15th
and will resume regular business hours on August 16th.
There will be NO PAPER on Friday, August 13th 20-3