SPRING, Texas – Residents at an apartment complex in North Harris County received a letter warning them about a rabid bat a dog came in contact with earlier this week.
Now that dog can’t come into contact with anyone for the next three months.
“It was alive and I didn’t realize what it was until I actually walked up to it, bent over and actually got close to it and I realized it was a bat,” said Elliot Krolczyk.
Krolczyk said he let his dog Bud, a 3-year-old golden retriever, out onto the back patio Monday night.
He said his dog dragged in a bat.
“It started hissing at me. It showed me its teeth and started hissing at me,” said Krolczyk. “Considering I didn’t know it had rabies or not and I know someone who has passed away from rabies, it was really scary for me.”
Krolczyk said he had to muster up the courage to trap the bat. He used a dustpan and a cord to pin the bat down and then put it into a box.
He said he took the bat to the Portofino Landing Apartments leasing office the next day and they called Animal Control. Krolcyzk found out on Thursday that the bat his dog caught tested positive for rabies.
“My dog got his first shot this afternoon and will get another one in three weeks and another one on June 11,” explained Krolcyzk. “So this is what we’re going to do for the next three months is watching over him that he doesn’t come down with no kind of sickness, or me.”
Krolcyzk said even though the bat didn’t bite him, he has to get checked out by his doctor.
He said he’s had concerns with the apartment complex and bats on the property.
KPRC called Portofino Landing Apartments, but the leasing office had already closed for the day.