Santa Cruz County has issued a current warning about rabies-positive bats. Here is the calm, practical response if your dog discovers one—and the contacts to use before anyone touches or moves the bat.
If your dog finds or may have touched a bat, move your dog away without touching the bat, keep people and other pets back, and call Santa Cruz County Animal Control at 831-454-7200 and your veterinarian promptly. Do not release, discard or handle the bat before officials advise you; it may be needed for rabies testing. If a person might have been bitten or scratched, or bat saliva or tissue may have reached the eyes, nose, mouth or broken skin, wash the area and seek urgent medical care.
Why is Santa Cruz County warning dog owners now?
In an October 13 notice, Santa Cruz County Public Health reported an increase in rabies-positive bats and urged residents to avoid contact with wild animals. The county specifically advised keeping dogs leashed and at least 150 feet from sick or dead animals, and keeping dogs and cats current on rabies vaccination.
Bats can carry rabies without looking obviously ill. A bat active during the day, lying on the ground, unable to fly or unusually easy to approach may be sick, according to both the county and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s bat-rabies guidance. Do not let curiosity close the distance.
Data note: The county’s October 13 release and California’s current provisional rabies table show different local totals. Because those official tallies do not match, Salt Hound is not presenting either as a definitive current count. Both sources confirm rabies-positive bats in Santa Cruz County, and the county warning is current.
What counts as a possible bat exposure?
A dog seeing a healthy flying bat from a distance is not the same as physical contact. A possible exposure means the dog may have been bitten or scratched, had a bat in its mouth, or had bat saliva or nervous tissue contact a wound or mucous membrane. A bat found in a room with a sleeping person, child or pet also deserves immediate professional review because contact may have gone unnoticed.
Do not inspect your dog’s mouth with bare hands after suspected contact. Keep your dog separated from people and other animals until Animal Control and your veterinarian give you instructions. Post-exposure decisions are case-specific; they can depend on whether the bat can be tested, your dog’s vaccination record and the details of the encounter.
What should you do right away?
- Create distance. Use the leash to move your dog away. Keep children and other pets out of the area.
- Do not touch or release the bat. Note exactly where it is. If it is indoors, close the room if that can be done safely and wait for instructions.
- Call Santa Cruz County Animal Control: 831-454-7200. For a sick or injured wild animal that has not exposed a person or pet, the county also directs residents to Native Animal Rescue at 831-462-0726.
- Call your veterinarian. Have your dog’s rabies vaccination record ready, but do not delay the call if you cannot find it.
- Protect people. Anyone with a possible bite, scratch or saliva contact should wash the affected area with soap and water and seek urgent medical advice. Rabies is preventable when exposure is assessed and treated promptly; it should not be watched at home for symptoms.
For broader triage help, keep Salt Hound’s Dog Help Desk emergency section within reach. It complements official response instructions; it does not replace Animal Control, public health or veterinary care.
How can you reduce the chance of an encounter?
Check your dog’s rabies certificate now, before an incident. California requires dogs to be vaccinated against rabies, and the California Department of Public Health identifies vaccination and avoiding wildlife contact as core prevention steps. Ask your veterinarian what “current” means for your dog’s record and local requirements.
On walks, use a leash where wildlife may be present and do not allow sniffing or mouthing of downed animals. At home, address bat entry points rather than trying to remove a live bat yourself. Santa Cruz County Vector Control offers home bat-exclusion inspections at 831-454-2590, especially when bats have previously entered the home.
More local prevention guidance is collected in the California Dog Hazard Center, while the Dog Resource Center helps owners find verified care and support beyond an immediate incident.
Sources and freshness
Verified October 15, 2026. Primary sources: Santa Cruz County Public Health’s October 13 rabies-exposure warning; California’s 2026 provisional animal-rabies table; California Department of Public Health rabies guidance; and CDC guidance on preventing rabies from bats. Availability, contact details and public-health guidance can change; confirm current instructions with the responding agency.