On September 5, 2021, Polk County Animal Control responded to a home on Old Bartow Eagle Lake Road in Bartow, where the family dog was exposed to a bat while being walked by its owner.

The dog's 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 Wednesday, September 8th, the results of the test confirmed that the bat was infected with rabies. 

The dog is vaccinated, but out of an abundance of caution, will remain quarantined inside its home for 45 days.

This is Polk County’s fifth case of rabies in 2021. The previous cases involved a bat, a raccoon, and two foxes.