Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 544 Rabies
The piercing sirens startled people who were leisurely enjoying life on the street.

They didn't know what had happened; they only saw a police car speed past them and quickly disappear from sight.

It only took Sun Chang about five or six minutes to reach the alleyway mentioned by the person who called the police.

This is a street of self-built houses nestled between high-rise apartment complexes in the city. It houses more than a dozen families, and most of the houses are vacant, just waiting for the opportunity to be demolished and their last value realized.

Because of this situation, the pregnant woman's attack by the stray dog ​​went unnoticed by anyone around her. She didn't even dare to shout for help, fearing that she would anger the stray dog ​​that was still lingering nearby, or attract something terrible.

It wasn't until Sun Chang led Lin Ge and Bei Bei over in a hurry that they saw the woman clutching her stomach, curled up against the wall. She looked to be in her thirties, her face covered in tears, and her body a mess.

"Are you alright? How are you doing now? Can you hold on?"

Sun Chang ran over and caught the woman who was about to slip and fall, comforting her while quickly checking her condition.

"My stomach hurts so much! My hands hurt too!"

The woman, her eyes brimming with tears, looked up with a wronged expression, her teeth chattering as she sobbed, "Am I going to die? My child... you must save my child! It doesn't matter if I die, my child must not be harmed! I finally... I finally managed to get pregnant with him!"

"It's alright! It's alright! I'm here, you're safe now. I've also notified the doctor, the ambulance will be here soon, you and your baby will be fine!"

Sun Chang gently comforted the unfortunate woman, and lifted her maternity dress slightly, discovering that her thighs were indeed soaked with sweat.

Sun Chang was at a loss as to what to do in this situation. In the meantime, all she could do was try her best to comfort the unfortunate woman while checking her arm for the scratches and bites from the stray dogs.

Seeing the woman's injuries, Lin Ge was also shocked. If the woman hadn't fallen when the wild dog attacked, then the injuries to her elbow, upper arm, side abdomen, and shoulder could only have been caused by the dog's pounce. Just like a wolf lurking from behind and attacking its target's throat, the dog's target was very obvious. If the woman hadn't waved her arm to block in time, who knows how terrible the injuries would have been.

Even so, the woman's arm was covered in blood. Her clothes were torn in several places, and there were even signs of bitten and ripped muscles on her upper arm. This was an extremely dangerous situation for a pregnant woman about to give birth.

"Why are there still stray dogs in the city that attack people?"

Lin Ge turned his head and looked into the shadows of the alleyway. He could clearly smell a foul, rotten odor. The stray dog ​​hadn't given up and left; it remained hidden in the shadows, staring intently at them.

"A dog that attacks people like that is most likely a rabid dog with rabies, right?"

Lin Ge reminded himself to be careful and absolutely not to contract rabies, a deadly virus. They say it's called the "ten-day observation method," meaning that infected cats and dogs can die in just ten days.

"Mimi, you and Beibei keep a close eye on that dog! Absolutely no harm can be allowed to happen again, you hear me?"

Sun Chang felt increasingly distressed and annoyed as she looked at the pregnant woman. She turned to Lin Ge and gave him a brief instruction, then pulled out her phone and yelled at the emergency center.

"What a hassle!"

Lin Ge complained, but still turned around and gestured for Bei Bei to follow, then carefully walked into the dark and narrow alley.

This is a path leading to the bank of the stream below, flanked by brick and stone walls enclosing self-built houses. However, due to planning issues, there are gaps between the houses, some as narrow as a few centimeters, others wide enough for a pedestrian to pass through—all excellent hiding places for stray dogs. Occasionally, tall clumps of weeds can be seen ahead, also providing easy hiding spots for dogs. Furthermore, some of the nearby walls are dilapidated and have gaps, making it easy for a stray dog ​​to jump over. Under these circumstances, it's difficult to predict where a dog might escape from or whether it will attack Lingo and Beibei who are searching for them.

To be honest, Lin Ge was a little scared.

After all, this time the target is a monster carrying biological weapons, and even slight contact with it could cause infection. Besides controlling or killing it, Lingo also needs to protect himself from injury and consider the possibility of accidentally becoming a source of rabies infection.

Even though the probability of felines contracting rabies is extremely low, who can guarantee that they won't be infected with the rabies virus and then spread it to others?
Although scientific evidence suggests that the rabies virus cannot survive in the air for even a second, who dares to be careless about something with such a high mortality rate?
Hearing the sound of an ambulance approaching in the distance, Lin Ge breathed a slight sigh of relief. Just then, a slight commotion came from the darkness ahead. Lin Ge's ears twitched, and he stopped Bei Bei, who was eager to rush over, and patiently continued to sneak forward.

"Uru..."

Beibei let out a disappointed sound, but still obediently followed behind Lingo.

Then... as he turned a corner, a ferocious dog appeared in Lin Ge's line of sight.

It stood arrogantly in the middle of the alley, limbs spread apart and head slightly lowered. Its half-open mouth was full of white foam and drooling. Its fur was dirty and prickly, and its eyes were bloodshot as it stared intently at the cat and dog that appeared in front of it.

"Holy crap, it looks like a zombie beast!"

Lin Ge was startled; it was the first time he had ever seen what a dog with rabies looked like. This guy seemed to be mentally unstable, with a particularly strong sense of fear and rage.

"Roar~~"

Staring intently at the cat and dog that appeared before him, the stray dog ​​let out a howl from its throat, its voice carrying a convulsive tremor.

"Wang!"

With a wary growl, Beibei darted from behind Lin Ge to in front of him, staring intently at its target and assuming an attack stance.

"I don't need your protection!"

Lin Ge walked away from Bei Bei, annoyed, and looked down at his outstretched claws. He suddenly regretted having Old Man Sun cut his nails last night; without those long, sharp nails, his attack methods were reduced by more than half.

Even so, Lingo had no intention of backing down, nor would he allow this clearly sick stray dog ​​to escape right under his nose. This creature had already attacked humans; if it were allowed to escape again, who knew if it would continue to attack others?

If some idiot gets bitten or scratched by it but is reluctant to spend the money and takes a chance by not getting vaccinated, that could be a fatal situation.

"Hooo!"

The tense standoff made the stray dog ​​on the other side increasingly agitated, and it was eager to launch an attack.

'Tap tap!'

Just then, footsteps sounded behind him. Lin Ge knew without guessing that it was Sun Chang chasing after them. The pregnant woman's situation was left to the paramedics; as a police officer, Sun Chang certainly wouldn't let go of this terrifying source of attacks on humans.

"But what are you doing here? With your skinny arms and legs, how could you possibly escape if it bites you?"

Without waiting any longer, Lin Ge charged towards the stray dog ​​in front of him. To avoid a direct collision, Lin Ge even took an unconventional sprint and climbed up the wall next to him, ignoring gravity and running sideways as if performing a martial arts feat.

"Wang!"

Beibei also joined the charge, rushing straight towards the stray dog ​​without hesitation.

"roar~"

The stray dog ​​saw Beibei as its primary threat, barked, and lunged at her with its jaws wide open.

Halfway through the run, a dark shadow flashed by. It was Lin Ge who used the wall for leverage, leaping up like a rabbit kicking an eagle and headbutting the wild dog to the ground.

The stray dog's turn of the head missed its bite on Lin Ge, and before he could react, he was kicked to the ground and even rolled over. Immediately afterward, Bei Bei pounced on him, biting his front leg, but before he could react, the stray dog ​​kicked him away hard with its hind legs.

The stray dog ​​scrambled to its feet and lunged at Beibei, only to be nimbly dodged. Beibei, being trained, wouldn't be easily bitten, but the fact that it hadn't directly attacked the dog's throat still left Lin Ge slightly disappointed. The two dogs and the cat got up and faced off again, the atmosphere becoming even more tense. The stray dog's front leg, injured by Beibei's bite, limped slightly, but this didn't deter it; instead, it fueled its anger, its eyes growing even more ferocious.

"Mimi! Beibei!"

Hearing the commotion, Sun Chang shouted and ran over at a faster pace.

"Roar!"

Human intervention only fueled the stray dog's rage; it charged straight at Beibei without flinching. Beibei, not to be outdone, met its attack head-on, and the two dogs instantly became entangled in a fight.

"Don't fucking talk!"

Lingo quickly joined the fray, slamming a paw into the wild dog's jaw, shutting down its mouth that was aimed at Beibei's hind leg, and only managing to bump Beibei with its nose.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Beibei bit the stray dog's tail and yanked it away from under her. Lin Ge also seized the chance to swat the stray dog ​​twice in the eyes, causing it to howl in pain and struggle desperately.

With the good cooperation of the cat and dog, the stray dog ​​quickly became dying. The ferocity it exuded soon turned into timidity, and the agitation brought on by rabies finally subsided into fear.

Even so, its claws still left several bloody scratches on Beibei's body. A desperate counterattack is not something Beibei can completely avoid; even with Lingo's help, injuries are inevitable in the fierce battle.

"Woo~"

The stray dog, having broken free from Beibei's grasp, turned to flee, but was quickly blocked by Lingo. It could only growl threateningly and retreat step by step to the wall.

Its eyes were already closed, and blood-tinged pus slowly oozed from its wounds. But even so, it didn't give up struggling, frantically hissing and threatening Lingo and Beibei not to come any closer.

"call……"

Lin Ge felt his heart pounding. This was the first time he had experienced such a tense and heart-pounding fight since the Zhu Wentao incident.

Avoiding injury in battle is not an easy task, just as no matter how much Lingo helped, he couldn't protect Beibei from being scratched.

Of course, the best news so far is that neither Beibei nor I have been bitten by this rabid dog. Scratches are just superficial wounds, easy to clean and disinfect, and nothing compared to being torn apart by canine teeth.

Suddenly, the lights came on from around the corner, and Sun Chang, holding a flashlight or cell phone light, finally arrived at the location.

When Sun Chang saw the scene—the blood-soaked stray dog, the disheveled fur of Beibei, and the cat whose belly was trembling rapidly—he was stunned for a moment.

However, at that moment, the phone's light unexpectedly startled the stray dog. Perhaps it was a symptom of rabies causing it to be photophobic, but even with its eyes half-closed, it quickly turned its head to stare at Sun Chang's location, then howled and pounced on him frantically.

"Fuck!"

Lin Ge cried out in alarm and rushed forward to stop them, while Bei Bei also barked and attacked the stray dog ​​again.

The two dogs started fighting again. Lin Ge kept a close eye on the stray dog's large mouth, and whenever it tried to bite, he would swat it with his paw, determined not to let Bei Bei get hurt. The scene of the fight left Sun Chang dumbfounded, unsure how to join in. She looked around, then made a snap decision, took out her extendable baton from her back, straightened it, and, seizing the opportunity, slammed it down hard on the stray dog's head. The muffled thud silenced the scene.

The stray dog, dazed and confused, stopped struggling for a moment, and Beibei took this opportunity to distance herself from it and protect Sun Chang.

"call……"

Lin Ge breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Sun Chang approvingly. The policewoman was truly different; she was swift and decisive when it mattered. He had been worried that Sun Chang wouldn't be able to kill her!

Looking at the stray dog ​​lying on the ground panting heavily, and then at Beibei next to him who had a lot of blood on her body but was still in relatively good condition, Lin Ge felt a little relieved.

While Lin Ge was still figuring out how to finish off the guy, Sun Chang suddenly shouted and swung his baton again, smashing it down hard. The baton struck the stray dog ​​in the waist, and Lin Ge vaguely heard a 'crack' sound. The guy fell to the ground and lay motionless.

Its body was still twitching, and it tried to get up by bracing itself with its two front paws. However, due to the severe injury to its lumbar spine and the serious bite wound on its front legs from Beibei, the creature struggled for a moment and then fell down with a 'thud,' only able to weakly rub its feet on the ground.

"die!"

Sun Chang struck again with the stick, accurately hitting the wild dog on the head as it tried to open its mouth to fight back. It was slammed to the ground and finally stopped moving.

"This woman...is terrifying!"

Lin Ge looked up at Sun Chang in surprise, never expecting her to be so fierce. Although it was just a dog, and a sick stray dog ​​that had hurt people, the sharp and merciless attack still made Lin Ge's heart tremble.

"call……"

Sun Chang, whose heart was pounding like a drum, let out a long breath.

The dead dog was quickly taken away by the city's epidemic prevention personnel who arrived at the scene. They could determine that it was infected with rabies without even needing to test it, just by looking at its body surface.

Then, around midnight, good news came from the hospital: the pregnant woman who had called the police had successfully given birth to a 3.42-kilogram baby girl, and both mother and daughter were safe. However, unlike a typical delivery, the woman needed further surgery to treat her arm injury. Previously, to ensure timely delivery and the safety of both mother and child, only simple disinfection and hemostasis were performed on her arm and external wounds; the actual treatment of the external injury could only begin now.

Her husband, who was on night shift, rushed to the hospital, and the police were no longer needed to help with the rest, which was a fortunate outcome.

But... the matter did not end there.

Was this pregnant woman the first person attacked by that stray dog? Was the dog a stray or someone's pet? How did it contract rabies? Did anyone else come into contact with it and get its saliva on them? Did this dog have contact with or fight with other cats and dogs? If so, could those cats and dogs also be infected with rabies? Can the source of infection be contained? Are there any other victims injured by other sources of infection?
These are all issues that must be clarified as soon as possible.

Rabies has a terrifyingly high mortality rate, and there are always plenty of people in the world who take chances. A full course of rabies vaccinations is expensive, and no one can guarantee that no one will underestimate the seriousness of the disease because of this.

So the next morning, the Zhangshi Police Station immediately took action.

They will work with the city's epidemic prevention station to find out the origin of the sick dog and identify any potential risks. Furthermore, after learning of the incident, the municipal government issued an order to collect all stray dogs in the city, and the local police station is required to cooperate with the community to handle the matter as soon as possible.

"Tsk tsk... Unified containment, huh? So you mean all the stray dogs or dogs not kept according to regulations in Zhang City are caught in one fell swoop?"

As Lin Ge worked, he sighed with relief, thankful that the city hadn't expanded the scope to include all the stray cats.

Of course, this is also because feral cats pose far less of a threat than stray dogs. The poor feral cats are already trying to avoid humans, so why would they actively attack them?

Furthermore, given their physical constitution, the probability of a cat contracting rabies is extremely low. Even if it were bitten by a rabid dog, it wouldn't survive more than two or three days. In other words, it would die quickly without any chance of transmission before humans could capture it.

While this may sound cruel, it is a key reason why feral cats are able to survive human threats.

Soon, by tracing the trail of the sick dog, the police station also discovered its origin. It had been bought from another region by a dog meat shop owner; there were more than thirty dogs in the same batch. The owner was bitten by this sick dog when he put them in cages. He chased after it and beat it, but it still managed to escape. Because he was worried about rabies and rushed to the hospital for injections and immunoglobulin, no further treatment was given, and the dog disappeared without a trace.

"That bastard! The dogs he bought weren't even quarantined! They're basically poached dogs bought from the gray area! Damn it, when he found out the dogs were acting strangely and ran away, he didn't even call the police! He almost caused a huge disaster!"

Liu Shengyou was furious because the dog meat restaurant was located in his jurisdiction, right next to the provincial highway.

(End of this chapter)