Advertisement Rat attacks service dog in Natick: Call for town to solve rat problem Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Susan Lane’s world has turned upside-down, and she said rats are to blame.Her service dog, Stella, a 2-year old German shepherd upon whom Lane relies to complete many basic tasks, is temporarily out of commission after being bitten by a rat, Wicked Local reported.On Sunday her son’s daughter was playing with friends when a rat darted across Lane’s backyard on Cross Street. Stella grabbed and killed it, but suffered bites to the nose, cheek and chin.Stella was taken to a veterinarian, who sedated her, administered intravenous antibiotics and scraped out damaged tissue from the dog’s nose.“Stella hasn’t slept in two days. Her whimpering is endless,” Lane said.Lane, a quadriplegic for nearly five years caused by an infection, said it’s time for the town to use taxpayer money for “public exterminations” to get rid of a rat problem that extends from Rte. 9 to downtown.She also wants the town to re-evaluate its pay-as-you-throw garbage collection and curbside composting programs, saying the programs attract rats.“Residents and town officials don’t want to come out and say there’s a rat problem,” Lane said.Jim White, Natick’s public health director, said his office has engaged in a public awareness campaign for more than a year to educate residents about what they can do to prevent rats.Several MetroWest communities, including Natick, have seen an increase in rats in the past several years, White said. Construction that displaces animal habitats, and warmer temperatures that allow rats to reproduce at a higher rate, are among the reasons, according to White.Since 2018, White’s department has received 50 complaints of rodents, including mice and rats - 42 from homeowners, eight from businesses. In seven cases, officials ordered property owners to correct the problem.When complaints are heavy in an area, town officials pinpoint “ground zero,” the place where rats are concentrated. Extermination is done, and then a flyer is sent to nearby homes to offer precautionary steps, White said.Lane has lived in her home for 25 years, and said she’s never seen a flyer from the town.The Natick Board of Health has not discussed the rat problem, according to Chairman Ian Wong, but it will be on the board’s June 10 meeting agenda.The rat that scurried across Lane’s backyard is not alone. Jay Lane, who lives with his mother, said at dusk you can see as many as eight in the yard. They live under the home’s detached garage and deck.Lane’s personal care attendants refuse to go down to the basement and do her laundry, because they’re afraid.Chuck Danielson, owner of Integrated Pest Control Inc. in Natick, agrees with White that there are more rats in the suburbs over the past two or three years. Last year, his office received 70 calls about rats in Natick.“Which is a lot,” said Danielson who has worked as an exterminator for 40 years.The rat problem is caused by several factors, according to Danielson, including garbage left in bags, instead of secured containers, and restaurant dumpsters not being shut tight.Neighbor neglect is another culprit. Danielson said he had one Natick customer with a rat problem, made worse by a neighbor feeding the rats doughnuts every day.“How do you fight that?” Danielson said.It’s not easy getting rid of rats, but steps can be taken, Danielson said. They include removing all food and water sources, like leaking outdoor faucets and standing water – “Rats need more water than mice,” according to Danielson.Also, close up all holes in the house at least the size of a quarter.Rats are more than a nuisance. They also carry diseases.In Massachusetts, the ones of greatest concern from rats, according to the state Department of Public Health, include: salmonella, spread through rat feces, and humans can become infected when they accidentally ingest the bacteria; leptospirosis, spread through rat urine, and humans can become infected if the bacteria gets into their eyes, nose, mouth, or an open cut; and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), spread through urine and feces. The latter is a particular risk to pregnant women.Both leptospirosis and LCMV are rarely diagnosed in Massachusetts, according to state public health officials. There is no evidence the number of cases is increasing, despite anecdotal reports of increases in rat populations.There are no observed increases in salmonella infection connected to rats.The Lanes have gone to GoFundMe pages to ask for help paying veterinarian and pest control bills.Stella hasn’t been the same since her encounter with the rat. She circled the kitchen and barked while photographs were taken for this story.She finally settled down long enough to give Lane a few loving licks on the cheek. Then it was back to a room for Stella, with the doors closed for peace and quiet.Which types of investments are right for you?Ad by Charles Schwab See MoreSitting at her kitchen table, Lane reflected on the disease she contracted five years ago, and put it in context with her rat problem.“I haven’t come this far, to beat this disease, to be taken out by rats,” she said.