What do I do if an animal bites me or my pet?
For more information on rabies exposure, visit the CDC website.
How can I help prevent rabies in my pet and myself?
Do not touch or pick up unfamiliar or wild animals – even baby animals – or try to feed them or make them into pets. Report unknown or strangely behaving animals to your town's animal control officer. If the animal is wild, contact the Rabies Hotline or a Game Warden.
Make sure trash cans and recycling bins are tightly closed, and do not leave pet food outside. Feed pets inside the house and keep pets indoors at night. If they are out during the day, keep them on a leash or within a closed space. Pets that roam free are more likely to be exposed to a rabid animal. Make sure that all family pets get rabies shots and keep shots up to date. Animals can be vaccinated by a veterinarian or at a rabies clinic.
For more information on rabies in domestic animals visit the CDC website.
What should I do if I find a bat in my house?
If you find a bat in your room after waking up, or if you find a bat in a room with a person or animal who may not recognize the risk – like a child, a person with a cognitive disability, an intoxicated person, or a pet – call your doctor or veterinarian.
Do not release the bat if it might have come in physical contact with a person or an unvaccinated pet. Instead, follow these steps:
For more information about bats and rabies, visit the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department and CDC websites.
- Contact your doctor and Town Health Officer and follow their instructions.
- Wash the bite wound well with soap and running water.
- Try to capture the animal only if you can do it without getting bitten again. You are more likely to need rabies shots if the animal cannot be found. If the animal is wild, contact the Rabies Hotline or a Game Warden.
For more information on rabies exposure, visit the CDC website.
How can I help prevent rabies in my pet and myself?
Do not touch or pick up unfamiliar or wild animals – even baby animals – or try to feed them or make them into pets. Report unknown or strangely behaving animals to your town's animal control officer. If the animal is wild, contact the Rabies Hotline or a Game Warden.
Make sure trash cans and recycling bins are tightly closed, and do not leave pet food outside. Feed pets inside the house and keep pets indoors at night. If they are out during the day, keep them on a leash or within a closed space. Pets that roam free are more likely to be exposed to a rabid animal. Make sure that all family pets get rabies shots and keep shots up to date. Animals can be vaccinated by a veterinarian or at a rabies clinic.
For more information on rabies in domestic animals visit the CDC website.
What should I do if I find a bat in my house?
If you find a bat in your room after waking up, or if you find a bat in a room with a person or animal who may not recognize the risk – like a child, a person with a cognitive disability, an intoxicated person, or a pet – call your doctor or veterinarian.
Do not release the bat if it might have come in physical contact with a person or an unvaccinated pet. Instead, follow these steps:
- Call 1-800-4-RABIES for assistance.
- Only try to capture the bat if you can do it without getting bitten.
- When the bat lands, approach it slowly while wearing gloves and place a box over it.
- Slide cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside.
- Tape the cardboard to the container securely.
- Game Wardens, animal control officers, nuisance wildlife trappers, and Town Health Officers may be able to help capture bats.
For more information about bats and rabies, visit the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department and CDC websites.
RSS Feed