SPOKANE, Wash. – Each year, as the weather heats up in Spokane County and people and pets spend more time outdoors, the possibility for contact with potentially rabid bats increases. It is also a time of year when Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) experiences an influx in calls from concerned citizens. To better meet community need, SRHD created a suite of prevention and education materials under the name BatSmart, located at srhd.org/batsmart.

Central to BatSmart is an illustration of a backyard and associated steps homeowners can take to reduce interactions with bats. The related...