During the past five months, Westbrook Animal Control Officer Adam Farrington said he’s encountered a number of animals in the city that displayed signs of rabies.

A fox and a raccoon exhibiting symptoms of rabies were both found on Duck Pond Road and a sick skunk was found on Prospect Street.

On Jan. 10, the city will hold a clinic to vaccinate animals from 2-4 p.m. at the American Legion Hall on Dunn Street. Vaccinations will cost about $10 per shot.

“Rabies is very much here in Maine and needs to be taken seriously,” said Farrington. “Vaccinating your pets is one step that Westbrook citizens should be taking to protect themselves, their children, their pets and the public around them.”

The first signs of rabies include subtle temperament changes, mild fever and slow blink reflexes. In the second stage, symptoms include increasing restlessness and irritability, aggression, roaming long distances, disorientation and seizures. In the final stage, paralysis causes difficulty eating, drinking and breathing, with coma and respiratory paralysis leading to death.