If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Dog bites increase over summer
http://tinyurl.com/g5iy
Dog bites increase over summer Calls to Animal Control go up during hot months By Ofelia Garcia Hunter Caller-Times- July 6, 2003 Some postal workers in the city have experienced the dangers of working on foot in neighborhoods where loose dogs roam the streets. Wayne Skinner, a postal worker for five years, has proof on his left calf. During the summer season, known to Animal Control officers as "dog bite" season, bites increase because animals and people interact more during the summer months, said Cherri Stuntz, Animal Control director. "Because the summers are more busy with people enjoying the nice weather, dogs are also moving around more," she said. The department deals with 10 to 15 bites a week, but that number increases to 15 to 20 per week during the summer. A Chow Chow bit Skinner on a recent Friday as he was delivering mail on Sabinas Street. "I turned as soon as I felt it," said Skinner. "It could have been worse if I hadn't reacted as fast." He drove himself to a clinic where his wounds were cleaned and he received tetanus and antibiotic shots to prevent infection. Animal Control officers went to the scene to try to capture the dog and quarantine it. "Our No. 1 priority is animal bites because of the welfare of the public and rabies being part of it," said Angel Hernandez, Animal Control supervisor. When a dog bite breaks someone's skin, a report is filed and the owner has three options, he said. The options include taking the dog to a vet to be quarantined for 10 days, turning the animal over to Animal Control for 10 days or having the animal killed and sent to the Texas Department of Health in Austin for rabies testing. Authorities are investigating the case of a 3-year-old boy who was attacked by a dog recently while under the care of foster parents. He and his 4-year-old brother were taken from their natural parents by Child Protective Services in mid-June after a gun went off in the home, according to officials. When the younger boy was returned to his parents, they noticed lacerations on his face, according to officials. "The kids were taken for the purpose of being safe," said David Sibley, attorney for the natural parents. "Then they were mistreated." The child was treated at Driscoll Children's Hospital and later released. CPS had been investigating the case, officials said. The identity of the foster parents was not released. Hernandez said when a child is bitten, the best procedure is to kill the animal and get lab results because severe dog bites can be life threatening. Some Corpus Christi residents are using pit bulls and Rottweillers to protect their property. These guard dogs can also threaten postal workers and other civil servants. "We have them as protection," said Frances Acevedo, who lives on Bonner Drive with her grandson's pit bull. But officers had to be called to her house when the pit bull threatened a postal worker. The animal, which got loose earlier that day, had been subdued by the time Animal Control officers arrived. Animal Control receives an average of 30 calls daily for dead animals and another 30 for animals that need to be trapped because they are injured, sick or no longer wanted by their owners, according to reports. "We do have a problem more in certain areas, and that's where we work on education more, like the leash laws and proper pet ownership," said Hernandez. West Corpus Christi is often problematic for Animal Control officers because some residents are unaware of leash laws and the need for various animal vaccinations, officials said. When an animal is aggressive, officers use a tranquilizer gun to calm and capture them. The animal is kept in an Animal Control kennel for 72 hours where the owner can claim it. After the third day, the animal is put to death. "The worst part of my job is euthanizing an animal," said Hernandez. "But after 18 years of doing this, I know I can do it with respect." Contact Ofelia Garcia Hunter at 886-3759 or © 2003 Texas Scripps Newspapers, L.P. A Scripps Howard newspaper |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|