CANDLER, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Local health officials have advised anyone who has visited Alleyoop Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, an Asheville-area animal rescue, within the past six months to seek a rabies risk assessment.
Buncombe County officials alerted visitors to Michelle Cole or Alleyoop Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, located in the Sand Hill Road area of Candler, that they should contact their local health department for a rabies risk assessment if they have visited the practice or had contact with wildlife there since February 2026.
“In the State of North Carolina, licensed wildlife rehabilitators must possess a Captivity License for Rehabilitation, an additional rabies vector species certification and have a complete rabies pre-exposure series to be allowed to handle and rehabilitate animal species that are at high risk of carrying rabies virus,” Buncombe County said in a press release.
Rabies-carrying species include:
- Bats
- Bobcats
- Foxes
- Raccoons
- Skunks
In Buncombe County, and other counties where the United States Department of Agriculture Oral Rabies Vaccination program is enacted, rehabilitating and releasing those vector species is not authorized, with the exception of bats.
“Unlicensed individuals are not allowed to possess or provide care to wildlife due to safety and public health concerns,” the county said.
Officials advise the following precautions for preventing rabies exposure:
- Do not approach, feed or handle wildlife. Leave orphaned wildlife alone.
- If a wild animal or stray pet near your home appears sick or is behaving unusually, or if you find a bat inside your home, contact the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Wildlife Helpline at (866) 318-2401 and HWI@ncwildlife.gov, or your county animal control.
- Keep dogs, cats, ferrets and livestock up to date on rabies vaccinations.
- Do not feed pets outdoors.
- Supervise pets when they are outside. A fenced yard provides the best protection.
If you think you have been exposed to animals at this facility, contact the Buncombe County Health & Human Services – Communicable Disease staff at (828) 250-5109. Residents of other counties should contact the local health department in their county of residence. For more information on rabies prevention and wildlife, residents are encouraged to contact the NC Wildlife Resources Commission at (866) 318-2401.