News – Sheridan Media
[[{“value”:”
The first Wyoming 2026 case of rabies was discovered in a bat in Sheridan in May.
On a previous episode of Sheridan Media’s Public Pulse, Sheridan Dog and Cat Shelter Operations Manager Hannah Edwards recommended that every animal in the community become vaccinated.
H. Edwards
According to the Wyoming Department of Health, the most common carriers of rabies in the state are bats and skunks, but any mammal can be infected with rabies, including humans.
The WDH reports the first confirmed case of rabies for 2026 occurred in May in Sheridan County. A rabid bat was found in the backyard of a home in a downtown residential neighborhood, highlighting the need to stay alert outdoors, not just in forested areas.
The department is reminding the public that humans and pets can become infected from bites and scratches of an animal with rabies. Rabies is not spread through the touch of an infected animal or its feces or urine.
The Dog and Cat Shelter offers a rabies vaccine along with parvovirus and distemper at $15 a piece during their vaccination clinics. The shelter has included an optional free examination. This examination can not diagnose or treat ailments but has been found useful to alert pet owners of a possible problem which they can then bring up to their regular veterinarian.
Each month will have a separate vaccination calendar to streamline the booking process. And the opportunity to get in for July is just around the corner.
The WDH is warning residents that bat bites are not always visible on animals or humans and are urging anyone who has direct contact with a bat or who wakes up with a bat in their home to immediately contact a doctor or public health provider for assessment.
For more information on the first 2026 rabies case in Wyoming, click here.
Contact information and to set up an appointment for the vaccine clinic at the Sheridan Dog and Cat Shelter, click here.
“}]]
More Like this
Last modified: June 24, 2026