Four baby goats at a North Carolina mobile petting zoo died or were euthanized after contracting rabies, most likely from a wild skunk that got into their enclosure. Because the goats were too young to be vaccinated, they were brought to at least ten public events across multiple counties before the rabies infection was confirmed, including an assisted living facility and a back-to-school event.

Now, local health departments in several counties are asking anyone who touched, held, or bottle-fed those goats to get checked for rabies exposure. Rabies is a disease that is almost always fatal once symptoms begin.

This never should have gotten this far. Mobile petting zoos that bring baby animals in front of the public, especially at places like assisted living facilities and school events, need real safety rules. Young, unvaccinated animals should be kept away from public contact, enclosures need to be secure against wild animal intrusions, and health departments should be notified the moment a health risk is discovered, not weeks later.

North Carolina lawmakers and the NC Department of Health and Human Services have the power to close this gap by setting clear licensing, vaccination, and enclosure requirements for traveling petting zoos, before another family finds out about a health risk from the news instead of directly from the event organizer.

Sign this petition to demand safety standards for mobile petting zoos in North Carolina, before another child, senior, or family pays the price for a preventable outbreak.