On August 5, 2021, Polk County Animal Control responded to a home on Lake Drive in the Waverly area, where two family dogs had killed a bat in the yard. 

The dogs' owner called Animal Control, and the Animal Control Officers collected the bat carcass and sent it to the state laboratory in Tampa for testing.

On Monday, August 10th, the results of the test confirmed that the bat was infected with rabies. 

The two male boxers are vaccinated, but out of an abundance of caution, will remain quarantined inside their home for 45 days.

This is Polk County’s third case of rabies in 2021. The previous two cases involved a raccoon and a fox.