Call for collaboration: raccoon rabies vaccination campaign for wild animals in your municipality

Due to the discovery of several cases of raccoon rabies in the Estrie and Montérégie regions since December 2024, the Quebec government is continuing its efforts in the field to limit the spread of this variant of rabies in Quebec. A third vaccination campaign to immunize raccoons, skunks, and foxes against raccoon rabies will be carried out from October 23 to 31, 2025, in 24 municipalities in the Estrie region. This campaign aims to curb the spread of raccoon rabies in Quebec and help protect human health. The target area was chosen because of the significant risk of a new outbreak of raccoon rabies in the Stanstead sector of the Eastern Townships. Since August 2025, seven cases have been discovered in raccoons in the municipalities of Stanstead, Ogden, and Stanstead-Est. The goal of this vaccination operation is to limit the risk of raccoon rabies spreading to Coaticook and Sherbrooke in the Eastern Townships.
 
Rabies is a fatal disease for humans, wild animals, and domestic animals. It can be prevented by adopting safe behaviors.
 
Control operation: distribution of vaccine baits
 
During the operation, vaccine baits will be distributed by hand in wooded areas, on riverbanks, along the edges of farm fields and abandoned buildings, and near garbage cans. Teams from the Ministry of the Environment, Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks will cover an area of 1,600 km2 to distribute nearly 134,000 vaccine baits.
 
Consult the distribution notice for details on the operation and advice to give to the public if they find vaccine baits.
 
Reminder: report suspicious animals
 
The public is asked to report raccoons, skunks, and foxes that are dead or appear disoriented, injured, abnormally aggressive, or paralyzed. To report the presence of these suspicious animals, call 1-877-346-6763 Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or fill out the form available online at Québec.ca/rageduratonlaveur.
 
If a raccoon, skunk, or fox is accidentally transported to your territory (e.g., freight transport) and comes from another province or country, it is also important to report it. The animal could be carrying rabies even if it appears healthy. It is essential not to release it into the wild.
 
Do not move wild animals!
 
It is currently prohibited to move or relocate live raccoons, striped skunks, gray and red foxes, coyotes, and their hybrids within the municipalities surrounding known cases of raccoon rabies.
 
Thank you for your valuable cooperation!
 
Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les Changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs