Health Alert: Seeking Info about Dog Bite at Ithaca Children's Garden

Tompkins County Whole Health’s Environmental Health Division (EH) must locate a dog that bit a person on Friday, May 1, 2026, around 4:00pm, at the Ithaca Children’s Garden (121 Turtle Lane, Ithaca). 

The biting dog is described as a 12-week-old black pug puppy named Stevie. The dog owner presented as a white female, in their 60s or 70s. The owner also had another dog with them, an older black lab mix named Niro.   

The person who was bit describes that the puppy was chewing on their hand while being pet, and they did not realize one of the bites had broken their skin until later in the day. Contact information had not been exchanged. 

EH seeks to verify 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 will not be necessary for the person who was bitten. 

Anyone with information regarding this dog is urged to call the Tompkins County Environmental Health Division at (607) 274-6688. Staff are on-call to respond to messages received by the answering service, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.    

We would like to remind the public the importance of getting bites checked as soon as possible to determine if rabies post-exposure treatment is needed.  

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 our website for free rabies vaccination clinics, held at multiple times throughout the year. Our next clinic will be held on Wednesday, May 27th, from 6pm-8pm, at the Danby Fire Hall (1780 Danby Road, Ithaca). Register online for an appointment.   
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 any mere skin contact with a bat, or a bat in a room with a child, or sleeping or impaired person.