The Tompkins County Health Department must locate a dog that bit a person on South Hill Recreation Trail in the Town of Ithaca. The bite occurred Thursday, February 13, 2020 between 4:30 and 5:00 PM.
The dog is described as a German Shepherd or shepherd mix, with the yellow body and black markings typical of a shepherd. The dog was pulling a man, approximately 6 feet tall, dressed in snow gear, with shoulder length reddish brown hair, on a snowboard down the trail near Pennsylvania Avenue. The dog bit the person on the leg as they passed by. The person bitten was not able to speak with the owner of the dog after the bite occurred.
The Health Department seeks to verify vaccination status and health of the biting dog over a ten-day period. If the dog can be located and observed to be healthy by the Department, the risk of rabies infection can be ruled out and rabies post-exposure treatment for the person who was bitten will not be necessary.
Anyone with information regarding this dog is urged to call the Tompkins County Environmental Health Division at (607) 274-6688.