Recent studies show that dogs are born to be man's companions. Other studies show that though bats have their benefits, they are the worst.

I remember the City of Fort Collins putting out a survey of what citizens' opinions were of bats. I remember saying, 'Flying rodents? Can't stand them.' I like to think that mine is an overall general opinion, especially when it comes to them spreading rabies.

The Coloradoan reports that a bat in LaPorte was found to have rabies, and this bat came in contact with a dog (because dogs are wonderfully curious, like a 2-year-old child.) Luckily, this dog has diligent humans and was properly vaccinated.

The Laimer County Health Department urges everyone with a dog to make sure the dogs' rabies vaccinations are up-to-date, as a dog getting rabies can be costly and, worst-case-scenario, horrible if the dog has to be put down.

There is a map that tracks rabies cases in Larimer County, which shows that there have been three animals found with rabies now this season. This is the first bat; two skunks were found in the south/southwestern portion of Loveland. You can bookmark that map HERE.

Rabies vaccinations for dogs generally run about $15. Well worth the cost, when it comes to the possible outcome of not having them.

Get more on this bat in LaPorte from The Coloradoan HERE.

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To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

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