A Jack Russell terrier bit a New Canaan woman on a Tuesday night last month, two days after the dog had been due for its rabies vaccination, according to police.
The little Turtleback Road animal, Henry, bit the woman after she got down on the ground to say hello to him at about 7:01 p.m. on Dec. 12, according to an incident report obtained by NewCanaanite.com through a Freedom of Information Act request.
It wasn’t clear just where the victim was bitten or what was the extent of her injuries, though after declining transportation through the local ambulance service, she went to Norwalk Hospital’s emergency room for treatment on her own, according to the police report.
The dog’s owner, Susan Rein, told authorities that Henry had been crated since the bite, according to the police officer’s incident report.
In reviewing Henry’s vaccination records, police learned that he’d been due for his rabies shot on Dec. 10—a fact confirmed by Rein, the report said.
The next day, the head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section, Officer Allyson Halm, contacted Rein regarding the dog bite. The dog was licensed with the town and that license indicated the same expiration date of Henry’s rabies vaccination, according to Halm’s part of the incident report.
“I advised Rein that Henry is still considered vaccinated but cannot be re-vaccinated until the end of the quarantine,” Halm said.
That quarantine would have ended on or about Dec. 26, the earliest Henry could then get his shot.
Henry must have felt his space was in some danger for him to bite. He was still naughty to do this. This is a good lesson to all of us animal lovers to keep the faith….do what is necessary for the pet’s best interest and consider also the public’s best interest. Henry could be titered (blood test) to see if he is still covered….many vets admit that the vaccination last longer than the “due date.” I hope the victim is well.