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Woman worried she has rabies after being bit by rat at PetSmart

Posted at 11:33 PM, Jan 02, 2015
and last updated 2015-01-03 21:01:25-05

Williamsburg, Va.--- An employee at PetSmart says she was bitten by a rat on display and is now worried she has rabies. She feels the store isn't doing enough to help her find out if she has it, especially after she says a vet told her it showed signs of the illness.

Victoria Verbeeck says she was working at the Williamsburg store on Wednesday morning when a rat bit her finger. The rat had been acting oddly lately, she said, but she had handled it before. "It turned around and just chomped down on my finger," she said. "I was more like that really just happened."

Since it happened, she says PetSmart hasn't been acting fast enough in helping to get the rat tested. With the holidays, she says she was told she'd have to wait until Monday to get help from PetSmart because corporate offices are closed until then.

A spokesperson from PetSmart says the company is taking the situation seriously. The health department is now overseeing the testing, according to the spokesperson. It's not clear when the results will be available.

Victoria says she plans to return to work at the store when she's feeling better, and has no intention of taking legal action.