Zebulon, N.C. — East Wake Animal Hospital plans a low-cost rabies vaccination clinic for cats and dogs this week to encourage pet owners to update their animals' shots after a fox tested positive for the infection in Zebulon Friday.

Vaccinations are $7 apiece Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m. and Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A mother and her two young daughters encountered a fox Thursday evening at a T-ball game at Wakelon School Park, and tests on Friday confirmed the fox was rabid.

Animal control officers said the animal also came in contact with a dog.

The mother, who might have been scratched by the fox, and children are being treated for rabies exposure as a precaution. The dog, which had been vaccinated for the disease, was given a booster vaccine.

"We don't want to alarm residents in Zebulon, but they should be aware of these cases, and of the potential for exposure to themselves, family members and their pets," Sue Lynn Ledford, community health director for Wake County, said.

The county is also sponsoring a rabies vaccination clinic Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at Wake County Eastern Regional Center, 1002 Dogwood Drive.

Vaccines from the county will be available for $5 on a first-come, first-serve basis for dogs, cats and ferrets whose owners have proof of current and prior rabies vaccinations.

Microchips will also be available for $10.

"Rabies vaccination is critical to help to prevent the spread of disease, and rabies vaccination is required by law," Ledford said. "This is a great opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of rabies vaccinations for their pets.”