Sycamore, Illinois · DeKalb County · Facts checked Oct 2026
Rabid bats turned up in Sycamore in both 2021 and 2022.
In October 2021, the DeKalb County Health Department confirmed rabies in a bat found in Sycamore that had contact with a vaccinated dog.5 In August 2022, a bat that bit a person in Sycamore also tested positive, and the person began rabies treatment.6 County animal control keeps weekday office hours, and after hours it asks people to call their local police.4
Who handles an animal problem in Sycamore?
| What's happening | Who to call |
|---|---|
| Someone was bitten or scratched by a wild animal | Wash the wound with soap and water and see a doctor right away. The health department or animal control should also be told.8 The county health department says every animal bite to a person in DeKalb County must be reported to county animal control, (815) 748-2427.5 |
| A bat is loose inside your home | If you woke up with it in the room, or it was near a child, keep the bat and call your doctor or the health department.8 Where you can do it without risking contact or a bite, the county suggests covering the bat with a large can or bucket and shutting the door to the room.5 On weekdays call DeKalb County Animal Control, (815) 748-2427; after hours, the county sends you to local police,4 and the Sycamore Police non-emergency line is (815) 895-3435.1 |
| A wild animal that looks sick or injured | DeKalb County Animal Control assists with sick or injured wildlife only during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.4 |
| An emergency | Call 911. Sycamore Police also list a 24-hour dispatch center at (815) 895-2123.1 |
| A stray dog, or a lost or found pet | Inside a city or village, the county says to report a lost or found pet to the local police department,4 here Sycamore Police at (815) 895-3435.1 County animal control handles stray animals in unincorporated areas, and its program doesn't pick up stray cats.4 Not a wildlife operator. |
| A calm animal living in your attic, walls, chimney or under the deck | The county says nuisance wildlife has to be managed by a wildlife removal service.4 That can be this site's advertiser or anyone on the Illinois DNR list. |
The Wildlife Line isn't part of the City of Sycamore or DeKalb County.
Are there local rules on keeping animals or setting out trash?
- No keeping wild animals. City Code 4-3-1-Q makes it unlawful to keep naturally wild animals in any stable, coop, animal enclosure, pen or hive inside city limits. The only exceptions are the R-4 rural residential district and animals kept for sale on a temporary basis in the right commercial district.2
- A twenty-six-hour window at the curb. Refuse, recycling and yard waste can go out after 6 p.m. the night before collection, and must be pulled back by 8 p.m. on collection day.3
- Bags go inside something. Bags that aren't in a container won't be collected.3
The county ties trash to wildlife in its rabies advice, telling residents not to attract wild animals with open garbage cans or litter.5
What open land sits close to downtown?
Sycamore Forest Preserve, near downtown and the park district golf course, covers 60 acres that were once the Evergreen Village mobile home park, which flooded for years.7 Floodplain prairie was planted on the northwest 30 acres, and the East Branch of the Kishwaukee River runs along the preserve's western edge.7 The Great Western Trail's western trailhead is there, and an extension carries the trail west into the city and the Sycamore Park District's parks and trails.7 A separate 6-mile paved trail runs between Sycamore and the DeKalb Park District's trails.7
The county also says a bat that is active during the day, found on the ground and unable to fly may be rabid, though you can't tell by looking at it.5 Its advice for the house itself is to keep homes and outbuildings maintained so bats can't get in.5 There is more on keeping them out in bats in the house, with separate guides for squirrels in the attic and a raccoon in the chimney.
What are you hearing?
If all you have so far is a sound, the attic noise guide helps narrow it down, and after-hours help is there for when the county office has closed and you need to decide whether to wait.
Sources for this page
- City of Sycamore, Sycamore Police Department. Checked Oct 22, 2026.
- City of Sycamore, FAQ: Can we keep chickens in town? (quotes City Code 4-3-1-Q). Checked Oct 22, 2026.
- City of Sycamore, Refuse Collection Guidelines. Checked Oct 22, 2026.
- DeKalb County Health Department, Animal Control. Checked Oct 22, 2026.
- DeKalb County Health Department, Health Department Reports Bat Positive for Rabies, Oct. 15, 2021. Checked Oct 22, 2026.
- DeKalb County Health Department, Health Department Reports Bat Positive for Rabies, Aug. 29, 2022 (the county's own record of the post; the post's page link now redirects to the 2021 release). Also in its rabies news. Checked Oct 24, 2026.
- DeKalb County Forest Preserve District, Sycamore Forest Preserve and DeKalb / Sycamore Trail. Checked Oct 22, 2026.
- Illinois Department of Public Health, Rabies (animal bites; bats in a sleeping area). Checked Oct 2026.
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Also: DeKalb County · DeKalb · Hampshire · Elburn