Zombie Dogs

Severe mange cases in Chicago suburbs
coyote with mange
Media outlet
Fox News

Article indicates severe mange cases in Chicago suburbs. 

Response

We have been getting many questions about this article. The basis for our program is observation - to research what is happening in the wild population knowing that some animals will get sick for many reasons. There will always be many parasites that persist in the environment. It is important to understand that mange always exists in the Chicago area population at low levels but pockets may break out temporarily as a family group may become infected at once.

Note, there is little risk of this being spread to well-cared for domestic pets. Most animals that succumb to this disease have weakened immune systems for one reason or another. Remember that a pet is going to have a higher level of care throughout treatment that may make the treatment more effective. There is also proof that these animals can recover from it on their own; one example of this is coyote 571.