Health Alert: TCWH EH Seeks Info About Dog Bite At Troy Park (Ithaca)

Published on July 29, 2025

Tompkins County Environmental Health Bite/Rabies Alert: Report to EH 24/7 at 607-274-6688: all animal bites or scratches, or suspicious encounters with potentially rabid animals. For emergencies, dial 911.
Tompkins County Whole Health’s Environmental Health Division (EH) must locate a dog that bit a person on Monday, July 28, 2025, at approximately 4:30 PM, at Troy Park (a small park located between Troy Road and Whitetail Drive, Ithaca, N.Y.). The person was bit on the leg while they were exercising alone in the park, by a dog that was off leash at the time of the incident. 

The biting dog was described as tan or caramel colored, small/medium-sized (approximate weight of 20-30lbs), that looked like a Cavapoo. The dog may have been called by the name “Peanut”. The dog was with a person who presented as a white male who appeared to be in their 60s, about 5’10”, with white hair and possibly a mustache. The man had another dog with him, a medium-sized black poodle, approximately 40lbs. The man explained that the dogs belonged to his daughter and were up to date on vaccinations, but did not provide any contact information for verification. 

EH seeks to monitor the health of the biting dog through an at home observation over a ten-day period. If the dog can be located and observed to be healthy by EH, 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 EH at (607) 274-6688. Staff are available at this number to take calls related to rabies and bites, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  

We would like to remind the public the importance of reporting bites to EH as soon as possible to determine if rabies post-exposure treatment is needed. It is also important to exchange contact information when a bite occurs. This allows EH the opportunity to verify the health of the animal after a 10-day observation period and rule out the possibility rabies was transmitted from the bite. 

Tompkins County Whole Health reminds everyone to: 

  1. Avoid contact with any unfamiliar cats or dogs and any wild animals. 

  2. All cats, dogs and ferrets must have initial rabies vaccinations administered no later than four months of age.  Keep vaccinations current! Check back to our website for our next round of free rabies vaccination clinics. For other free or low-cost rabies vaccine programs, contact the local chapter of the Street Dog Coalition or the Cornell Healthy Pet Clinic held at Ithaca’s Southside Community Center (305 S. Plain St., Ithaca). 

  3. Report the following incidents to Tompkins County Environmental Health at 607-274-6688: 

  • All animal bites or scratches. 

  • Any human or pet contact with saliva or other potentially infectious material (brain tissue, spinal tissue, or cerebrospinal fluid) of wild animals or any animal suspected of having rabies. 

  • All bat bites, scratches, or direct contact. Also report instances when a bat has been in a room with a sleeping person, a small child, a person under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or if the person has a sensory or mental impairment. 

Further information can be found on our website: TCWH Environmental Health - Rabies Program 

Tompkins County Whole Health: envisioning a future where every person in Tompkins County can achieve wellness. Find us online at: https://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/health and follow us on Facebook, Instagram or X. Sign up to receive Whole Health updates or other county announcements via email or text.  

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