Critter Calls: Police Handle Dead Bat, Rabid Raccoon and Dog Bite

If one theme in police calls this week was another theme was animal troubles. 

On Tuesday, police responded to at least six critter calls:

A dead bat was found on a chair outside a home in the 3400 block of Muirwood Drive. The homeowner called police about 5:45 p.m. after her son sprayed it with a hose, landing the wet bat on the patio.

The woman said she was concerned about rabies, after hearing a radio report that bats with rabies were in the area. But an animal control officer at the Elmbrook Humane Society, whom police called to dispose of the bat, said there was no reason to worry.

A dog fell into a two-foot wide sink hole near North 166th Street and Lillian Road, but was recovered without injury, the dog owner told police about 5:40 p.m. The city Highway Department was notified to investigate the traffic hazard.

A terrier bit another dog before 5 p.m. in the 2800 block of Monterey Boulevard. A man told police his dog initially did not appear to be injured but later he found puncture wounds on his dog's neck.

The man, who lives on San Marcos Court, said he was worried that the suspect dog — a 15-month-old American Staffordshire terrier — was vicious and might have bit another dog.

The terrier's owner, a 19-year-old man, told police he caged his dog after the incident. The Elmbrook Humane Society said the biting dog's owner was responsible for paying any vet bills related to the bite.

A possible rabid raccoon frightened employees of Glass Nickel Pizza, 13175 W. Blue Mound Road. The restaurant called police about 4:15 p.m. to report a live, possibly rabid raccoon was sitting on top of Dumpsters behind the building. The Elmbrook Humane Society was called to retrieve the raccoon.

An injured fawn was shot by a police officer about 2:45 p.m. after the deer could not move and was lying near a residential garage in the 3600 block of Mary Cliff Lane.

A deer was struck by a car on Pilgrim Road just south of Capitol Drive about 10 p.m. The deer had to be dispatched. There was no report on how much damage was inflicted on the Ford Contour.