Rabid Bat Found In Western New York Town

Residents in Pendleton were alerted recently that a rabid bat was found there on Thursday.

According to WGRZ, the announcement was made by the Niagara County Department of Health.

Bats are one of the most common carriers of rabies

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says that the animals that carry rabies most often are skunks, raccoons, foxes, and bats.  It's not surprising that 90% of rabies cases occur in wildlife and of all those animals, bats are the most dangerous.  They say that contact with infected bats is the leading cause of human rabies deaths in this country; at least 7 out of 10 Americans who die from rabies in the US were infected by bats.

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The biggest concern is for your pets

Sadly, when your pets and livestock come into contact with a wildlife animal that has been infected, they too can contract the rabies virus.  However, most of the pets who do contract the rabies virus are either not up to date with their rabies vaccination, or they never got one in the first place.

Dogs are required by law to havea  rabies vaccination.  Because of this, dogs only make up for 1% or rabid animals reported in the United States.

There is a free rabies clinic this weekend

If you are concerned about your pets, there will be a free rabies clinic being provided by the Niagara County Department of Health this weekend.  They will be providing free rabies vaccinations to domesticated animals including cats, dogs, and ferrets on Saturday, July 15 from 9am-12noon.  While it is free to attend, appointments are required.  All the info is below.