Updated
Updated · WOAI · Aug 19
Bexar County Confirms 1st Rabid Pet Dog in 10 Years as Wild Cases Jump to 22
Updated
Updated · WOAI · Aug 19

Bexar County Confirms 1st Rabid Pet Dog in 10 Years as Wild Cases Jump to 22

3 articles · Updated · WOAI · Aug 19

Summary

  • A male Husky mix tested positive for rabies on Aug. 18, marking Bexar County’s first infected pet dog in more than a decade.
  • The dog’s owner told investigators it killed a baby skunk near the family’s Far Westside home in late July, but the wildlife encounter was not reported at the time.
  • People and pets exposed to the dog have been offered rabies prophylaxis after the animal developed behavioral and neurological symptoms in the following weeks.
  • San Antonio and Bexar County logged 22 rabies cases in wild animals during June and July, up from two to three cases in the same period of 2024 and 2025.
  • Officials urged residents to vaccinate pets, avoid wildlife contact and report exposures quickly; a free rabies-shot clinic for the first 100 pets is set for Aug. 22.

Insights

With wildlife rabies cases skyrocketing tenfold in 2026, what hidden environmental factors are turning Bexar County into a dangerous hot zone?
Could the durable immunity revealed in recent rabies research prompt new mandatory booster protocols for pets in Texas hot zones?
After an unreported skunk encounter caused a fatal infection, what subtle behavioral changes must pet owners watch for before it is too late?