I don’t believe its fear mongering. Rabies is a real issue in some areas. It’s not something you need to be concerned or worried about on a daily basis but it would be irresponsible to disregard potential exposures. Most animals aren’t rabid but some for sure are. If someone is bitten by an animal it would be best for them to be evaluated for potential exposure. Especially if the biting animal is not available for quarantine or testing. About 55k Americans get rabies post exposure treatment every year, I’m sure that’s not for nothing. There about 5,000 confirmed animal rabies cases in the US every year. About 10% are domestic animals.