Oh No. Bad Dog Problem on My Street

[Snowshoe]

It's not Oban, thank god.

My neighbour lady, Lucy's owner, saw a small dog acting obviously lost and scared out on the highway. She put her own dog away and slowly tracked it down the road. Unlike another neighbour who saw her and came out to say the small dog had been there acting lost and scared for some time Lucy's owner immediately tried to get it off the road. She crouched down (and she's 80 years old) got the dog to come to her and when she went to grab it's collar it bit her. But she got it anyway and took it home and found it's owners, other neighbours.

She told them it bit her, the woman got a bit upset, saying the dog never goes out and it just got loose this day. The man owner went back to my neighbour to pacify her a bit after the encounter with his wife and smooth things over and thank her.

The bite got infected, swollen (I saw it today, three or four days after the bite) and she went to hospital where she got a tetanus shot and antibiotics. She was asked if she knew the dog or owners and my good, good neighbour said she didn't know. Because it seems the dog may not have it's rabies shot, so she didn't say anything to identify the dog or owners.

She just got a call from Health of Animals who told her if she does not supply them with the name of the dog and owners she will have to start rabies shots herself. Lucy's owner is really upset. She loves dogs. If your dog got loose this is the person you want to find it. But of course she doesn't want to take rabies shots. It's extremely, highly unlikely that little dog has rabies. But if it hasn't had any rabies vaccination we are not sure what will happen. An immediate test for rabies in the dog can only be done by euthanizing it and examining the brain. We are not sure if quarantine of the dog, if it's not ever been vaccinated, is an option. We aren't sure if it's ever been vaccinated.

Crap. To top it off the little dog's owners have several dogs, they breed GR. And, they used to be the people who ran our local dog pound. And they are the people instrumental in setting up a rescue, because they were upset about having to turn some unclaimed stays back over to the authorities to be euthanized.

This is so crappy. Crappy, crappy, crappy. Lucy's owner was nearly crying when she came to my door to see if I had a phone number for the little dog's owners, she didn't know their last name.

[zd262]

I've had rabies shots from being exposed to a bat and they are terrible, but you get through them.

Only one situation, but I had a friend who was bit by another friend's dog and it got infected. The dog had to be quarantined, but that was it. Not sure what is normal protocol. This sounds like a really tough situation

[POPTOP]

Crappy is right. But, you neighbor has to look out for her health. Around here if your dog bites someone you have to show proof of rabies vac and then your dog is quarantined for an amount of time. Further restrictions may be placed on the dog, like having to wear a muzzle or never be outside without a leash on even in your own yard.

Feel so sorry for your neighbor. It's a tough spot to be in.

[CraftHer]

Sounds like she has to find out if the little dog has had it's rabies shots and take it from there. It's so unfortunate her good deed has turned bad. Sending some good lab board mojo her way.

[LucyTudeOn4Feet]

If the little dog's owners breed GR's, help a rescue and shelter and stuff like that, why wouldn't the little one be up-to-date on it's rabies shot? That doesn't make sense. Your neighbor lady, bless her heart, shouldn't feel bad about it. If they are irresponsible, that's their problem.
I hope the little dog is current. I hate that the responsible people end up paying a price for the jerks and morons.

[Scoutpout]

oh that is a pickle. agreed the little dog's owners should have had it up to date or titered. and so nice of your neighbour not to say anything, but isn't that a bit draconian and high-handed by the Health of Animals person? perhaps they were just judging by her age, and trying to "force" the issue? or assumed she doesnt realize the potential seriousness of it?
and really, can anyone force you to take medical treatment against your wishes? i know there are court cases for children where the parents don't believe in certain things and are trying to prevent their child from being treated, but an adult?
and besides which, if/by the time they managed to get a court order against your neighbour, it would be well past the time when rabies would have become visible in your neighbour, so at that point, there would be no point in carrying out the shots, because it would be obvious if she did or did not have rabies.

[Maxx&Emma]

Very sad. Do the dog owners have a reason for not vaccinating for rabies? I am not sure they can actually force the neighbor that was bitten to get rabies shots. I think they can euthanize an animal that is not vaccinated though. Were I live an animal that is vaccinated is quarantined after a bite. The animal can be quarantined in the owners home in most circumstances at least. Sending good thoughts for your neighbor that was bitten.

[Snowshoe]

There is no cure for rabies and it's communicable to people. I don't know if Health of Animals, it may be the human side of things, our local Public Health Office, can force a human to take the shots. I don't know if it depends which "official" your case happens to land with or if they have the discretion to interpret the laws, or if there is even a law applying to this. Ironically, since the owners of the little dog recently ran this areas dog pound and a rescue both of them may have rabies vaccinations themselves. All these people live on my short street. I guess there will be lots of end of driveway conversations going on today. Lucy's owner was given till today to come up with the little dog and/or owner's name.

[kimbersmom]

If the little dog's owners breed GR's, help a rescue and shelter and stuff like that, why wouldn't the little one be up-to-date on it's rabies shot? That doesn't make sense.

Not to derail- but our neighbor is a professor at the agriculture college. He has a mini-farm with sheep and a corgi. The corgi got bitten by a raccoon that turned out to be rabid. We noticed the corgi was penned up and found out from another neighbor that the corgi's rabies shots weren't up to date! Of all the people to not be on top of such things, a hobby farmer who teaches ag would NOT have been my guess! (The corgi has to be quarantined for 6-7 months. Don't even get me started on how heartbreaking it is to see her penned up.)

[Sue-Ram]

If the little dog's owners breed GR's, help a rescue and shelter and stuff like that, why wouldn't the little one be up-to-date on it's rabies shot? That doesn't make sense. Your neighbor lady, bless her heart, shouldn't feel bad about it. If they are irresponsible, that's their problem.
I hope the little dog is current. I hate that the responsible people end up paying a price for the jerks and morons.

I agree, something doesn't make sense.

If the little dog's owner can't produce vaccination records, isn't Lucy's owner concerned about her own health? If there was a possibility that I was going to be staring down the barrel of a rabies shot, I don't think I would be hesitating about giving up names.