Dogs Put Down After Contact With Rabid Bat In Cowlitz County

Cowlitz County, Wash. – Two dogs had to be put down after they came in contact with bats with rabies. The dog’s owner found them each holding a dead bat their mouths. Health officials tell News Partner KGW both bats tested positive for rabies the county’s first documented case in ten years.

Authorities say neither of the euthanized dogs had had their rabies shots, a requirement for legal licensing, but not something every pet owner does. Possible human exposures are also being investigated. Some humans have survived after contracting rabies, but usually it’s fatal.