Animal bites require rapid response

Your son is pedaling down the street when he's bitten by the neighbor's dog.

Who do you call?

If you dial 911, it will bring a sheriff's deputy. Or, if you go straight to the emergency room, a deputy is usually dispatched to take a report.

Either way, law enforcement commonly responds to enforce what county ordinances and state law classify as an animal services issue. Why?

Several reasons are given by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, Animal Services and Health Department.

Immediacy of action is high on the list. The county remains under a rabies alert, and that's the biggest concern when it comes to animal bites. It's the Health Department's responsibility to investigate possible outbreaks of rabies and report them to the public and appropriate agencies.

But first they have to get the information. There are more deputies on the road than animal control officers, so they can begin investigations sooner.

"We like to get (reports) as quickly as possible," said Al Gray, environmental manager for the Health Department. "Sometimes we get three reports on the same exposure, but that's alright; better too many than too few."

A deputy's report basically summarizes the circumstances of the incident and indicates whether the animal is up to date on its vaccinations. If there's no immediate risk to the public, the report is forwarded on to Animal Services for investigation.

There are six Animal Services officers who rotate on call 24/7 to respond to priority bites. Similarly, some from the Health Department staff, usually the epidemiologist, is on call.

An example of an emergency would be a bite from a high-risk rabies carrier - such as a raccoon, fox or bat - or an attack by a dog legally defined as "dangerous."

In such instances, a deputy has the authority to issue criminal citations and quarantine the animal. Deputies are also credited for keeping the public safe from a loose animal and mitigating arguments between neighbors over animal issues.

"If the Sheriff's Department did not take bite reports there would be a greater potential for dangerous dogs inflicting injury to the public ...," Liana Teague, manager of Animal Services, wrote in an e-mailed response to a reporter's questions.

That's the current justification. But in tight budgetary times, is it the best use of deputies?

"We're looking at all aspects of the way things are done," said Sgt. Donna Black, spokeswoman for the sheriff's office. But at this juncture, "we're not going to change the situation."

Passing animal bite investigations entirely onto Animal Services or civilian public service aids would present "no real savings," Black said, adding it's "not going to make much of a difference."

Deputy Steve Klapka, president of the local Fraternal Order of Police chapter, thinks otherwise.

Investigating an animal bite, whether on scene or at the hospital, can take more than an hour to complete. Rounding up loose cows or horses is closer to two hours. Essentially it's taking deputies out of the loop for a noncriminal matter and that's time and money, he said.

"There are things that need to be changed," Klapka said. "We have to tighten our belt."