Hal Hamilton said the animal knocked him down and bit him outside his Barrington home before he drove it away with his cane.
BARRINGTON, R.I. — A 91-year-old Rhode Island man said a raccoon attacked and bit him outside his home as he walked toward his mailbox, knocking him off balance before he used his cane to drive the animal away.
Hal Hamilton said the encounter happened Oct. 2 on the front steps of his Barrington home. What began as a routine trip for the mail quickly became a wildlife attack that left him with bite injuries and questions about possible rabies exposure. The incident comes during a year in which Rhode Island health officials have reported an elevated number of animals testing positive for rabies, including numerous raccoons.
Hamilton told WJAR that he was on about the fifth step when the raccoon approached from behind and knocked him down. He managed to kick the animal away, but it appeared ready to approach him again. Hamilton still had his cane and used it to fend off the raccoon, which then fled the area.
Hamilton said he did not immediately realize the extent of his injuries. After examining his clothing later, he found puncture marks and injuries consistent with the animal having bitten or scratched his leg. He contacted wildlife officials and reported the encounter to health authorities as he tried to determine what medical care he needed.
The Rhode Island Department of Health advises anyone bitten or scratched by a wild animal to wash the wound thoroughly, contact a doctor or hospital and report the incident to state health officials and local animal control. Raccoons are among the wildlife species considered at high risk for carrying rabies in Rhode Island. The disease can be fatal once symptoms develop but is preventable when appropriate treatment is given after exposure.
Hamilton sought medical care after the attack and said an urgent care facility directed him to Newport Hospital for treatment. He ultimately obtained a rabies vaccine from a CVS pharmacy, telling WJAR that he paid $440 out of pocket for the dose. He later received another dose as part of his follow-up care. The raccoon involved in the attack was not available for rabies testing, according to subsequent reporting.
The encounter occurred amid increased concern about rabies in Rhode Island. The state Department of Health reported in September that 34 rabid animals had already been identified in 2026, exceeding the average annual total of 24 recorded from 2021 through 2025. Twenty of those animals were raccoons. The department said 43 people had been exposed to rabid animals and received treatment by that point in the year.
State officials have continued urging residents to keep their distance from wild animals, particularly those behaving unusually. Rhode Island health authorities say raccoons, bats, skunks, foxes and woodchucks are among species that can carry rabies. An animal’s infection status cannot be determined from appearance alone and generally requires laboratory testing.
Hamilton survived the encounter and was able to recount the attack afterward. The raccoon’s rabies status remains unknown because the animal was not tested, leaving health officials unable to determine whether it was infected. Rhode Island authorities continue to monitor animal rabies cases as the state experiences an unusually active year for confirmed infections.
Author note: Last updated October 21, 2026.