Rabid bat found under pavilion in Kerrville

A fourth positive case of rabies this year has been announced by Kerr County Animal Services. Like the three previous cases, the disease was found in a bat.

Rabies Confirmed

“On Monday (May 12), our office was notified that there was a dead bat under a pavilion in the 100 block of Francisco Lemos Street in Kerrville,” said Kerr County Animal Services Director Reagan Givens.

“We dispatched an animal control officer, who collected the specimen and sent it to the zoological lab for testing the same day. This morning (May 14), we got word back that it was indeed positive for rabies.”

 “To me, this case is a good example for people to understand that we can encounter a rabid animal in an area frequented by the public just as easily as we can out in the hills in a remote area,” Givens said.

It is not known if any person or pet made contact with this latest identified carrier of the deadly, neurological disease, Givens said.

“Be careful!” he cautioned. “Never touch or feed a wild animal – dead or seemingly tame. That same rule applies to stray dogs and cats, too.”

“Rabies is a horrible, viral disease that can spread animal-to-animal and animal-to-human,” Givens said. “As the county’s rabies authority, Kerr County Animal Services encourages everyone to make sure their family pets are current on their rabies vaccinations.”

In Kerr County, there is a court order requiring all pet owners to have a dog or cat vaccinated against the disease by the time the animal reaches 4 months of age. The vaccines then must be given at least once every three years. Proof of those vaccinations must be kept in the official certificate furnished by the person giving the inoculation.

The certificate must bear the pet owner’s name, address and telephone number, as well as identifying information about the animal, including species, sex, age, weight, breed and color. Information about the type of vaccine used, as well as the veterinarian’s signature and license number also should be included.

Anyone who notices a wild animal acting strangely is urged to make a note of its physical description, where it is exactly and which direction it might be heading, then call Kerr County Animal Services at 830-257-3100. After business hours, calls should be made to the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office at 830-896-1216.

The previous three county cases of rabies this year were also in bats – two confirmed carriers and one specimen deemed untestable due to damage, but which, by law, must be treated as positive in the interest of public safety.

There were 16 total cases of rabies in 2024.