Petaluma Residents Report Bats in Homes and a Movie Theater as Sonoma County Logs Six Rabid Bats This Year
Bat season is winding down, but Petaluma residents are still finding bats indoors. Health officials say bats are the main local rabies risk.
By the Bay Area Brief staff · Edited by Seamus McKenna · · 3 min read
Grey, overcast skies over San Francisco Bay and the Bay Bridge. Photo: Weston Woodbury / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (cropped, resized and color-graded). Archive photo of the area; not a photo of the events in this story.
Petaluma residents are reporting bats in barns, homes and backyards, over the Petaluma River and, several locals say, at a September screening at downtown's Boulevard 14 Cinemas. The theater did not respond to the Argus-Courier's questions.
The rabies numbers
In Sonoma County this year, six of the 129 bats tested were positive for rabies. The county usually sees three to seven rabies cases a year.
Over the past 10 years, 48 animals in the county tested positive, and 94% of them were bats, according to a county public health report.
County disease control has handled 341 animal-bite reports so far in 2026, up from 267 in 2025.
A Sept. 10 CDC advisory, shared by the county, said rabies-related inquiries were up 17% nationwide.
What to do
Never touch a live or dead bat.
Get a medical evaluation after any possible bite or exposure.
To keep bats out of a house humanely, wildlife groups recommend professional bat-proofing and exterior bat houses.
Sources
This article is an original summary based on the following reporting. We encourage readers to visit the original sources for full coverage.
The day's Bay Area housing, business and neighborhood news, plus the world headlines that matter, in one short email. Free, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
We use your email only to send the Brief. Details in our privacy policy.
Clover Sonoma will invest $30 million in its Petaluma operations over two years, CEO John Coletta told the Press Democrat. It has already added 21 milk plant and warehouse jobs, is expanding its refrigerated warehouse and is looking for Petaluma-area land for a 'culture and innovation' facility for cultured dairy products.
PG&E cut power for safety around 8 p.m. Friday in small areas of six counties ahead of dry, gusty north winds. Restoration depends on weather and inspections.
