I got bit by a dog while running along the road

angie_nrs

angie_nrs

Cathlete
So I got home and it was a gloomy and overcast day but it was the perfect temperature for a run. I set out for a nice run into town. On my way back I ran by a house with dogs. These dogs typically just bark and run along side the yard but have never darted out at me before. Well, on my way back by the house a black lab ran up behind me and bit the back of my thigh.:mad: I was shocked. It really didn't hurt much and I wasn't even sure he broke the skin but since I was mad that it happened, I marched up to the house and let them know their dog just bit me. The lady asked "were you running?" Uh, duh..... Her son cut her off and said "mom, it's not her fault." Gee - I feel so vindicated.:rolleyes: I had another 2 miles or so before home so I continued with my run on home. When I got home and took a peek at my backside, there was a good sized wound, bleeding and all. I had hubby take pictures....hopefully we'll never need them.

I just don't know what to do now. I really want to call Animal Control, but I know they'll just euthanize the dog.....when it's not really the dog's fault that the owners didn't keep it in the yard. But still, I run down that road at least once a week. I certainly don't want to deal with this again. I'm hoping the wound heals without any complications b/c I don't want this to turn into a hornets nest.

Has anyone else been in this situation or know anyone who has?
 
If you are bit by a dog, please be sure that the dog is not rabid. I would definitely contact animal control and the police. (My DH is an ex-cop). It is not just a little thing for a dog to bite a person. It is not a good sign that the woman was some what unwilling to accept responsibility. I hope you are going to the Doctor and she needs to pay your doctor bills.

Please please follow up on this!

Edit: One of our good friend is a "dog whisperer" animal trainer professionally. He says that sometimes there are just dogs that WILL NOT be good and they simply must be put down in the interest of society.
 
You really should contact Animal Control. They will just make sure the dog has had rabies shots. If he has , they will probably quarentine him for 10 days. You may have to get a series of rabies shots. I got bit by a rabid kitten 2 years ago and I just needed to get some shots. They are not painful. But if the dog has not had rabies shots , they will probably put it on a 6 mos quarentine. I seriously don't think they will just put it down. But for your safety , I highly advise you to call Animal Control.

Jean
 
I agree. You should consider calling the police and/or animal control. You need to look after your health and the authorities need to put her on notice to obey the law. They probably won't put the dog down for one bite. If the dog is a "serial biter," it needs to be removed. Also, she needs to leash her dog - a child could be running/playing and get bit or worse. Just my two cents. I hope you feel better soon.
 
Angie,

I'm so sorry this happened to you! I do agree w/ the previous posters that you need to contact both the police & animal control. If you haven't seen a doctor yet for your bite, please do that too! There are other infections you can get from an animal bite besides rabies. If the dog hasn't had a recent rabies vaccination, you NEED to get those shots asap!

A dog attacking a random person going by a house is not a small thing--whether that person was running or not. As someone else mentioned, suppose the dog bites a child next time? Your thigh is about face level on a toddler!

Hope everything turns out okay. At least the owner's son had some sense!

Joan
 
I disagree with most of above, if your wound doesn't require medical attention, why dont you go back to owner and ask if the dog has had rabies shots just for peace of mind, but doesn't it seem unlikely it was rabid? The dog was just doing something natural, though very undesirable. To me, that would be the bigger issue, a free roaming dog with less than responsible owner. Who, by the time you go back and and talk to her may be feeling less fear and more responsible and responsive. You do have right to be angry and hopefully have your concerns addressed. That's prob what I would do anyway.
 
That's why I run at the track...

I have been bitten by three different dogs while running.....there is no leash law where I live....when I reported it(the first time I was bitten) I was informed the dog gets one free bite. When I ride my bike I carry a horse whip and pedal fast when I see or hear them coming.
 
Thanks for all the support and replies you guys.:)

Just as a follow up....I did go in and get a tetanus shot, which I didn't even feel. I was due for a booster anyways since it's been well over 10 years since I've had a booster. The wound looks nasty today...not infected, but very bruised and still bleeding a bit. It'll take some time before any signs of infection show themselves, but I'll certainly been keeping a close eye on it. Thankfully there really isn't much pain.

I did call Animal Control today and reported the incident. I let them know that I did not want the dog put down and they said that was not something they do unless the dog is a repeat offender. So, I felt much better about that, since that was the reason I did not want to report it. I truly do not want to see a dog pay for the negligence of the owner. The officer interviewed the owner and then came to my house to interview me. He took pictures of the bite. He said the owner seemed a bit surprised to see him.?. She told him that the dog had a wireless barrier but his collar was broken. I just wanted to make sure the dog was up to date on vaccinations and that this wouldn't happen again to someone else. I asked her yesterday if the dog was vaccinated and she said he was, but I really didn't want to take her word for it.

I did have a pepper spray device with me, that I take anytime I run. I only have it for incidents like this since my neighborhood typically is very safe. However, the dog kind of jogged beside me for a while and I thought he had turned to go back but instead dropped behind me and then took a bite. He wasn't aggressive towards me when I went up to the door of the house, so it was kind of a bizarre situation.

Hopefully this is the end of it.
 
Make sure you get her homeowner's insurance info. Any bills need to go to them, not your medical insurance. Your medical insurance will deny because it's not their responsibility to pay for that type of accident. They will be the secondary payer after her homeowners. But make sure your medical gets billed so they can deny, then refile as secondary after hers pays, otherwise you'll be beyond filing limits.

Nan
 
I'm sorry that happened to you. I would be livid, so you're taking this much better than me. Amazing that woman's kid had more insight than his mom. Are you just not supposed to run because she wants a dog??? Hope you get her to take responsibility for her pet. Dogs sometimes can't help themselves, but we humans should know better.
 
I'm so sorry this happened to you :( I think you did the right thing calling Animal Control so they can be aware this happened. From what it sounds like, the owner doesn't sound very responsible which is unfortunate. I have Labs and they are wonderful dogs and I do think how an owner treats their dogs reflects how they will behave. When my little girl was a pup we were walking her and our big boy and met some people out walking their Labs. We stopped to chat w/ them and one of theirs attacked our pup for no reason. So although our dogs were always very well behaved I have seen this breed bite. I've also been bitten by a small dog so any dog can for whatever reason be provoked to bite. I hope the owner gave you proof of rabies vaccination for your peace of mind. You did everything right & hopefully the owner will contain her dogs. Hope you feel better soon :)
 
One thing to consider is negligence. In the state I live in, an owner of a dog is not considered negligent until the dog bites the second person. That's why it's really important to get the incident on record. If a second bite happens, that owner is liable in case someone decides to sue. Sometimes that's the only way to get someone to take responsiblity. If it hits her pocket book, she'll probably be sure and get that collar fixed and on the dog. I don't know if that's the same law in your state. Good for you for reporting it.
 
angie_nrs said:
Thanks for all the support and replies you guys.:)

Just as a follow up....I did go in and get a tetanus shot, which I didn't even feel. I was due for a booster anyways since it's been well over 10 years since I've had a booster. The wound looks nasty today...not infected, but very bruised and still bleeding a bit. It'll take some time before any signs of infection show themselves, but I'll certainly been keeping a close eye on it. Thankfully there really isn't much pain.

I did call Animal Control today and reported the incident. I let them know that I did not want the dog put down and they said that was not something they do unless the dog is a repeat offender. So, I felt much better about that, since that was the reason I did not want to report it. I truly do not want to see a dog pay for the negligence of the owner. The officer interviewed the owner and then came to my house to interview me. He took pictures of the bite. He said the owner seemed a bit surprised to see him.?. She told him that the dog had a wireless barrier but his collar was broken. I just wanted to make sure the dog was up to date on vaccinations and that this wouldn't happen again to someone else. I asked her yesterday if the dog was vaccinated and she said he was, but I really didn't want to take her word for it.

I did have a pepper spray device with me, that I take anytime I run. I only have it for incidents like this since my neighborhood typically is very safe. However, the dog kind of jogged beside me for a while and I thought he had turned to go back but instead dropped behind me and then took a bite. He wasn't aggressive towards me when I went up to the door of the house, so it was kind of a bizarre situation.

Hopefully this is the end of it.
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I'm so glad you reported this! Thank goodness!!! It was the right thing to do.
God knows I'm a dog lover. If you met me, you would know my dogs are my children....BUT, this has to be reported. The next time it could be a small child running and the dog bites causing crippling scars.
Dogs can do a lot of damage to a small child.

It honestly pisses me off that people allow their dogs to roam like this.
I'm a firm believer that dogs need supervision when outside. I know a lot people think that this is over the top, but I will never allow my dogs to be a menace to society.
I love my dogs and I supervise them for their protection.
 
Well, I'm cussing a blue streak right now.

May I join your dog bite party? I just got in from my daily run and was bitten by the dog next door. I am so upset! The dog is a stray that the home owner took in a few months ago. She hasn't bothered to get it shots, and it stays tethered outside the front door. Today it managed to get loose and bit me on the back of the shin.

I have a really nasty bruise shaped like a bite mark, and then a bruised streak going down the back of my leg. I don't think the skin was broken, but I am calling animal control anyway. I guess the question of whether I need a tetanus shot is a no brainer. And I am sure they'll have to quarantine the dog. Does it make a difference if the skin was broken? It's in a spot I can't see real well myself, but it looks like it was not. It's just bruised really badly. :(
 
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JeanneMarie,

perhaps you should see a doctor. A streak down your leg could mean blood poisoning.
 
Thanks, Lala! I had a doctor look at my leg and he determined the dog bite did NOT break the skin, thank goodness. I have a heck of a bruise though.

Angie, I hope your wound is getting better. I am so sorry this happened to you. I've been running for years and years and never had it happen. How ironic that it would be a dog that lives right next door to me.
 
This is why I'm afraid to walk or run in my neighborhood. We do have leash laws, but no one obeys them in the country. Even some of the nicest labs I've met, will get you in the back of the thigh if you are running from them. I've had a dog do that to me and she was only playing and I had no idea she was following me. She was the sweetest dog ever, but instinct kicked in when she saw me running and she grabbed me. Lucky for me, she wasn't trying to hurt me and I just got a bad bruise. I really blame the owners. They obviously do not train their dogs well at all and they are not keeping them under control. Too bad they don't put them down instead!
 
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Maybe I had this post in the back of my head yesterday. But I got bit too. I was visiting my honey bee mentors house and have been there a handful of previous times. His dogs always made me leery. I was doing "ceasars che" and keeping them at bay. Then I started speaking with my mentors wife, let my guard down, and turned around and got bit. The lady knew I got bite and asked if I was okay. I looked down at my knee and didn't see a hole in my pants and thought I was fine. Then I got in the car and lifted up my pants and found a hole in my knee.

I have a rottweiler, and many people are afraid of her. This was a cute brown lab type dog. It's all about the owner, and how the dog was raised.

I'm just glad my kids weren't with me like normally. I would hate for them to build a fear of dogs.

Sarah
 
Another good reason to report the bite. What if next time it's not a runner but a child? You both did the right thing. Better to be safe than sorry.

I run with my dog, and sometimes I think he actually attracts them more than if I were solo. I also carry a dog spray with me just in case.

Hope both you ladies are on the mend. :)
 
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