Bend woman finds rabid bat in backyard

Dianne Scott calls her home on Bend’s Eastside the ” Scott Rescue Ranch, ” where she rescues cats, chickens and horses — but certainly not bats.

Last week, that’s exactly what stopped by her home. A rabid bat landed in Scott’s fenced backyard, where she keeps her 11 cats.

Scott captured the bat and alerted the Oregon Department Fish and Wildlife and other officials. She sent the bat to Oregon State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, where the bat tested positive for rabies.

Once the test came back positive, Scott said she had all 11 of her cats, one of her horses and her dog get rabies booster shots. Health officials told Scott to also keep her animals inside for 45 days as a precaution.

Scott wants people to be aware of the dangers associated with rabies.

“I know it’s not required in the state of Oregon to get cats vaccinated for rabies, but it is really important — especially in this area, where there are bats,” she said.

According to the Mayo Clinic , if you or your pet come in contact with a rabid animal, you should attempt to capture the bat and have it tested for rabies. You should also alert your local health authorities.

” What I’ve been told is, if you vaccinate your cats and they are up to date, the only thing you need to worry about is to get a booster as soon as you’ve seen a bat around and that they should be protected. That’s what we are hoping for, ” Scott said.