ITHACA, N.Y. — The Tompkins County Health Department is trying to track down a dog that bit a person Friday in front of the Schwarz Center on College Avenue in Ithaca.
The dog, reportedly named “Paco,” is described as a small black and white dog similar in build to a Jack Russell terrier. The dog’s owner was reported as a man “with long grayish-white hair in a ponytail who was wearing clear, rimless, geometric-shaped glasses.”
The dog was standing on a bench near the owner at the time of the bite, which took place around 7 p.m. Friday, the health department said. Before being bitten, the person was feeding the dog treats provided by the owner.
The health department is looking for the dog to verify its vaccination status, as well as the health of the biting dog for a 10-day observation period. If the dog can be located and observed to be healthy, rabies can be ruled out and the person who was bitten will not have to go through rabies post-exposure treatment.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Tompkins County Environmental Health Division at 607-274-6688.