A poodle-mixed-breed puppy is out from under a two-week quarantine after biting a Wahackme Road teen in the nose, officials said.
The 11-week-old puppy, visiting with his family from Texas, bit the boy seriously enough on the afternoon of June 21 that he required stitching, according to Officer Allyson Halm, head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section.
The 14-year-old was at home and down on the floor playing with the puppy when the dog got him, sending the boy to a plastic surgeon to stitch up the nose, Halm said. The boy’s mother reluctantly phoned Animal Control the following day, June 22, to report the incident.
“Playing face-to-face, that’s how they play,” Halm said. “The puppy just caught him really good.”
The puppy is not fully vaccinated because it’s still so young and going through its series of shots, officials said.
State law requires that dogs that bite humans undergo a 2-week quarantine following the event—if it happens on the owner’s own property, then the quarantine can take place at home. Otherwise, it must happen off-site, such as at a veterinarian’s, under the law.
The puppy’s owners were deeply unhappy that the young animal had to be quarantined at a vet—in this case, up in Orange, Halm said.
Why is it that when a pit bull bites, the breed is always in the headline? You never name the breed otherwise. It’s really awful how the press contributes to the bad reputation pit bulls have. I have been a full time pet caregiver for 4 years, & have only been bitten by black labs, golden retrievers & chihuahuas. I have owned 4 rescued pits, & they are the best dogs I’ve ever had. Any dog can bite & turn in a second. They are animals, after all. It’s all about being a responsible dog owner. I so wish the press would be fair.
Thank you for posting your comment, Heidi, though in our case you’re mistaken. Please see these articles about dog bites in New Canaan and read the headlines: https://newcanaanite.com/?s=dog+bite — you will note that breeds mentioned by name in headlines on dog bite stories are Labradors, Newfies, Swiss Mountain Dogs and Ridgebacks. You may also search for ‘Pit Bull’ and come across this article that mentions that breed in the headline — https://newcanaanite.com/police-new-canaan-woman-loosed-pit-bull-on-man-woman-in-a-dispute-30361 — regarding an incident last summer where police arrested a pit bull owner who used the dog to intimidate someone that she claimed owed her money (note that the arrested woman in this case also is head of a New Canaan-based pit bull rescue group, ahem). You refer to “the press” as one group—that might be a good example of the type of generalization you seem to oppose. While I understand there are many news outlets that unfairly single out pit bulls, this isn’t one of them. Thanks again.