Bitten by Dog

**jeff0514** · 09-15-2009, 09:41 PM

Hey everyone. I was out running tonight after dark and got bitten by a dog on my leg. I was running on a dark road and listening to some music. I realize that was probably a mistake. I saw a car pull into a garage, then all of a sudden saw a little black dog at my heels and felt it biting me. I kept running to try to get away from it, then heard the apparent owner yell at it from across the road. I didn't turn around and kept running. Should I be worried about rabies or anything? The house where this dog appeared to have come from was on the outskirts of town. The dog got me in probably 3-4 different places between both my legs. I've never actually been bitten by a dog like that before while running.

**IcSyU** · 09-15-2009, 09:44 PM

First you should probably go to the hospital and get checked regardless.
Second you need to call the cops and confront the owner.

Now you can wait for some moron to come in here and say you should handle the situation as a vigilante.

**bugs4cy** · 09-15-2009, 09:48 PM

Rabies from a little pet dog like that would be next to impossible. Focus more on an infection in the wounds. Nonetheless, I agree with going to a hospital or doc for the paper trail - - the owner needs to deal with this. It's unacceptable.

**ffelknirznarf** · 09-15-2009, 09:50 PM

Make sure you report the incident. Often people don't report the incident and the dog ends continuing to bite other people. I know a guy who got a small bite from a dog and did not report it and then a couple of months later the dog bit a kid really bad. He felt awful for not reporting it.

**Rogue52** · 09-15-2009, 09:51 PM

You should have gone and talked to the owner to determine if the dog was current on rabies.

Now, you probably need to go to the doctor who will be required to report the incident to animal control. They will contact the owner (assuming you remember the house address) who will have to provide an updated rabies vaccination. If they don't, the dog will be quarantined for 10 days to verify that it is not invested.

BUT AGAIN, the simple thing to do is to talk with the owner first. You could bypass the whole doctor thing assuming the bite is not bad.

And technically, if you weren't on their property, you could sue.

**RandomFan** · 09-15-2009, 09:51 PM

Gotta get checked dude. Chances are you're fine, but rabies isn't something you wanna mess with.

**Rogue52** · 09-15-2009, 09:56 PM

For future reference, the last thing you do if a dog is running at you is to run away. You should stop and do nothing.

**Clone9** · 09-15-2009, 10:01 PM

Rabies is unlikely, but if you've got a puncture wound, it could turn bad quickly. You should also confront the dog owners, and they should take care of it financially.

**cmoore_23** · 09-15-2009, 10:06 PM

ya i would confront the owner and if they do not want to talk i would report it asap and get it checked out..

also where at on the outskirts.. so i know not to run there...

**CloneIce** · 09-15-2009, 10:09 PM

Kick it!

**Tornado man** · 09-15-2009, 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by jeff0514

I didn't turn around and kept running.

Huh? Instead of talking with the dog's owner and letting him see your wounds, you go home and post about it on CF?

**jeff0514** · 09-15-2009, 10:14 PM

Yeah, in hindsight I should have stopped, because I heard the owner call the dog. Again, I was running in the dark in a semi-rural area with my headphones on, so I should have been paying better attention. I think the dog was just let out, as I saw the apparent owner pull into their garage. They probably never saw me. I sort of freaked and kept running, because I just wanted to get away from the dog. The bites are pretty small and didn't bleed much at all. I cleaned them up and will probably just slap some band-aids on. But I wasn't sure how far I needed to go with this, since they did break some skin. I'll have to drive by tomorrow to see if I can remember which house it came from, look them up, and give them a call.

**jeff0514** · 09-15-2009, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by Tornado man

Huh? Instead of talking with the dog's owner and letting him see your wounds, you go home and post about it on CF?

That's right... hindsight is 20/20 I guess. Just looking for some advice man.

**Tornado man** · 09-15-2009, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by jeff0514

Yeah, in hindsight I should have stopped, because I heard the owner call the dog. Again, I was running in the dark in a semi-rural area with my headphones on, so I should have been paying better attention. I think the dog was just let out, as I saw the apparent owner pull into their garage. They probably never saw me. I sort of freaked and kept running, because I just wanted to get away from the dog. The bites are pretty small and didn't bleed much at all. I cleaned them up and will probably just slap some band-aids on. But I wasn't sure how far I needed to go with this, since they did break some skin. I'll have to drive by tomorrow to see if I can remember which house it came from, look them up, and give them a call.

I was just trying to point out that as a dog owner myself, I would much rather have someone who was bitten make me aware and show me right then, especially since he was there and called the dog himself. You also would have known if the dog was current on shots, etc.