02/14/2023
Although time is not something we have very much of behind this side of the screen, I feel it important to yet again state the importance of animal control. When your animal, no matter what it is , bites someone and a injury occurs, BY LAW YOU ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT ANY INCIDENT TO THE SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT... This is state law. When the injured party receives care at an emergency room or a clinical setting and it is reported that the injury occurred because of an animal attack. BY STATE LAW THE ATTENDING PHYSICIAN MUST REPORT TO THE LOCAL SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT. This is law..Now when your animal bites someone they are placed in a quarantine order with the local health department..This states that your animal must be seen by a veterinarian within 24 hrs of the incident and seen 2 more times within 10 days before the "Bite Order" is lifted as well as vaccination requirements that must be met ..again according to the law... Failure to comply with state law can have many legal ramifications both for you and your animal.
When our animals attack other animals or other people it is the animals owner who is held responsible, not the animal..This has the potential to cause all kinds of issues. Home owners can expect your insurance rates go up if not completely dropped if multiple "Bite Orders" have been issued..Those who rent could face eviction. Let's not even think about the cases where severe injury occurs resulting in civil and criminal cases costing thousands of dollars in hospital bills, legal fees, fines and forfeitures all because they never thought that their beloved pet would harm anybody. As much as one could say that in some cases the animal was being protective of their owner or was provoked, the animals actions are still not going to be questioned or scrutinized like the owners actions will be as proceedings begin. Taking extra precaution to prevent animal bites is difficult because you just never know when that day will come when your beloved Fido decides he doesn't want to be pet today. There are things you can do to minimize animal attacks, but proper prevention starts and ends with you the owner. If you know your animal isn't socialized very well do your best to keep them away from other animals. Having young children in the house with multiple animals can create a whole new set of challenges when we try to minimize possible threats. Most childrens first toy is usually a stuffed animal....How do you think a 1 year old looks at a big fuzzy dog after playing with a stuffed animal? Much like the owners they don't see a threat until it is too late. Knowing our animals behavior is very much a game of intense observation. So always be cautious when introducing your pets to new people or places and take notice how the react. If your pet is food motivated and they behave well then they should be given a treat as the reward. Having proper leash (as well as length)control is another step we can take to prevent animal attacks as well as utilizing harnesses instead of collars..If a collar is being used make sure that it is snug enough to squeeze 2 fingers between the neck and the collar. These are very simple things that every pet owner can do to minimize potential animal bites.
