(Ithaca, NY – March 23, 2023) – Tompkins County Whole Health’s Environmental Health (EH) must locate dogs from two separate incidents on Tuesday, March 22, 2023. The first incident occurred around 4:00 P.M. near the intersection of Esty and Plain Streets, in downtown Ithaca. The second incident occurred around 5:30 P.M. in Thompson Park, North Cayuga St., Ithaca.
In the first incident, around 4:00 P.M., a person was bit when they caught a loose dog near the corner of Esty and Plain Streets. The dog had blood on its legs and appeared injured. The dog was described as a small, tan, short-haired dog, possibly an Italian greyhound. The owner appeared not long after the dog was found and reclaimed the dog.
In the second incident, a person was riding their bike in Thompson Park (N. Cayuga St.) around 5:30 P.M. when they were bit by a white poodle or poodle mix. The dog was accompanied by two adults and one child. The adults were described as having long brown hair, with one person wearing glasses.
EH seeks to verify vaccination status and health of the biting dogs through an at home observation over a ten-day period. If the dogs 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 the Tompkins County Environmental Health at (607) 274-6688. Staff are on-call at this number to field calls related to rabies and bites, 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:
- Avoid contact with any unfamiliar cats or dogs and any wild animals.
- All cats, dogs and ferrets must have initial rabies vaccinations administered no later than four months of age. Keep vaccinations current! Learn about our upcoming free clinics in April and May at: https://tompkinscountyny.gov/health/rabies#clinics
- 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 cerebro-spinal 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.
Further information can be found at: tompkinscountyny.gov/health/eh/rabies.
Tompkins County Whole Health (formerly the Tompkins County Health Department): envisioning a future where every person in Tompkins County can achieve wellness. Find us online at TompkinsCountyNY.gov/health, and follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/TompkinsWholeHealth and on Twitter at @TCWholeHealth. Sign up to receive Whole Health updates or other county announcements via email or text.
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Media Contact: Shannon Alvord, salvord@tompkins-co.org
