Animal Bites & Rabies

Even if you own the animal or you know the owner, report any animal bites to us. We’ll help you figure out the risk for rabies or other illnesses from the bite.

Take care of the bite right away

Wash the bite well with soap and water right away.
If you were injured, see a doctor as soon as possible. Here are some tips if you don’t have insurance.
If your pet was injured, take them to their veterinarian as soon as possible.
Report the bite to us.

How to report a bite

We need to find the animal that bit you or your pet so we can find out if it’s been vaccinated for rabies or has rabies.

There are two ways to report:

Report the bite online. Your report will be sent to an Animal Services Officer who will follow up with you as soon as possible.
Call Police & Fire Dispatch at 608-255-2345 and say you’re calling to report an animal bite.
- If the animal's owner is unknown, or it was a stray or wild animal, tell them as much as you can to help us find it. Include what it looked like, where you saw it, and if you’ve seen the animal before. Tell them if you need help capturing the animal.
- The dispatcher will give your information to an Animal Services Officer who will follow-up with you about the bite.

Expand all

Bites from dogs or cats

At the scene of the bite

Check to see if the bite broke the skin before the pet’s owner leaves the scene. Don’t wait to check until you get home.
Ask the owner to call their vet to find out if the pet is up to date on rabies shots.
Exchange names and phone numbers with the owner. You may need to contact them for follow up questions.

Once you’re safe

Report the bite to us.

Any dog or cat that bites will be quarantined for 10 days and checked for signs of rabies. If there are no signs of rabies after 10 days, you and/or your pet do not need post exposure rabies shots.

If you can’t find the animal that bit you, or it shows signs of rabies, you need to see a doctor right away for treatment.

Bites from bats

Bat bites are hard to see because their teeth are small and bite marks can disappear quickly.

If a bat was in a room while someone was sleeping or intoxicated, or was with a child or pet alone, do not set it free.

Safely capture the bat. It needs to be tested for rabies. Call us if you need help capturing the bat.
Between 8:00 am – 5:30 pm, call 608-255-2345 and ask for Animal Services. We’ll pick up the bat and have it tested.
Between 5:30 pm - 8:00 am, capture the bat and keep it in a safe place. Call us after 8:00 am the next day for pick up and testing.

If you have a bat in your home and are certain that no people or pets have come in contact with it

Confine it to a room. Close all doors and windows except those that lead outside. This will give it a chance to leave.
If you can’t get the bat out:
- Between 8:00 am – 5:30 pm, call 608-255-2345 and ask for Animal Services. We’ll help you get the bat out.
- Between 5:30 pm - 8:00 am, keep it in a room without people or pets. Call us at 8:00 am if the bat is still in the room. We’ll help you get the bat out.

Bites from other wild animals

If you or your pet were bitten:

Report the bite to us.
We may be able to help capture the animal if it’s in your home. Call 608-255-2345 for help. Our officers are on duty from 8:00 am - 5:30 pm seven days a week.
If you need to kill the animal, don’t damage the head. We’ll send the animal to a lab for rabies testing. Put the animal in a refrigerator if it can’t be picked up the same day.
- Rabies test results are usually available within a day. We call you with results as soon as possible. If we can’t reach you by phone, we’ll send the results in the mail.
- If the rabies test is positive, you should get rabies shots as soon as possible.
- If the rabies test is negative, you did not get rabies from the bite.
If the animal wasn’t captured, or if the rabies test was indeterminate (uncertain)
- If you were bitten: Talk to a doctor. You may need rabies shots as soon as possible.
- If your pet was bitten: Take them to a veterinarian as soon as possible. You may need to quarantine your pet. If so, it must be kept at home, away from other animals, and have limited contact with people.
  - 60-day quarantine: If you pet has had its rabies shots, it will be in a 60-day quarantine. It will immediately get an additional rabies shot.
  - 6-month quarantine: If your pet has not had its rabies shots it will be in a 6-month quarantine. It will get a rabies shot in the 5th month of quarantine. Your pet will need to be tested if the vet thinks it has rabies.