IDAHO -- Paramedics took a Minidoka County Animal Control Facility worker to the hospital to treat her for bites after being bitten by a Black Lab earlier this week.
As the woman tended to the animal, the Black Lab bit her. Immediately afterward, the neighboring Pit Bull attacked the Black Lab. As the woman tried to break up the fight, the Black Lab bit her twice more. Shortly after, workers called an ambulance for assistance.
Undersheriff Vick Watson told Minidoka County Commissioners about the incident during Monday’s weekly County Commissioner meeting.
“She got in the middle of a dog fight,” Watson said.
Prior to the incident workers deemed the Pit Bull as unadoptable, and employees euthanized it.
“Black Labs usually aren’t biters. We’re still assessing the Lab. We’re not sure if it had displayed any aggressive tendencies before. Even though it was aggressive toward the worker, we are reassessing its adoptability,” Watson said.
Dogs like Pit Bulls, Rottweilers and Chows are known to be aggressive. Whenever the facility receives such a dog, it contacts the Boise-based Bully Breed organization.
“When they get a new dog, they do a personality assessment,” he said.
Watson is the first to point out that not every single dog of those breeds proves dangerous, but the sheriff’s office isn’t taking any chances.
“We want them out of the community,” Watson said.
Workers don’t know what caused the Lab to attack the worker. Even the gentlest dog can attack without warning.
Canines in an animal control facility are under a lot of stress, Watson said.
“You have a facility full of dogs, and dogs can become aggressive toward each other,” he said.
Working in an animal control facility comes with its own set of hazards.
“There is a threat of being bitten by a dog,” he said.
The worker’s condition wasn’t known, but Watson said that Worker’s Compensation would cover the cost of her medical bills.
(Weekly News Journal-Aug 17, 2012)
