Missouri: Deputy failed to document first dog bite, office says

MISSOURI -- A woman biking in rural Greene County was attacked and bitten by a dog three days before a man was also attacked and bitten in the same area — and the Greene County Sheriff's Office says the deputy who responded did not document the incident on the day it happened, violating department policy.

In addition, a Greene County commissioner told the News-Leader on Thursday that the dog apparently responsible for the bites was not euthanized for rabies testing until Wednesday.

Acting county administrator Chris Coulter on Monday said he believed the dog had already tested negative for the disease.

Rebecca Campbell was biking on East Farm Road 170 northeast of Logan-Rogersville High School on July 3 when she said she was attacked.

On July 6, Miguel Nunez was attacked while cycling in the same area.

Campbell said four dogs rushed her just as they had surrounded Nunez and that one of them bit her.

"I had to fend off the dog with my bicycle just as he had," Campbell said.

Campbell said she was able to get away from the dogs and call 911. But Campbell said the deputy who responded, Darrell LeAn, told her there was not much law enforcement could do.

The deputy was also not worried about the threat of rabies, Campbell said, and told her to go home and rub some alcohol on the wound.

"He said, 'No, you don't really need to be concerned about that," Campbell said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rabies vaccine should be given as soon as possible after exposure to the virus and that a doctor, possibly in consultation with a local health department, will decide if a vaccine is needed.

"I'm really, really aggravated they told me don't worry about it," Campbell said.

Deputy Cathy Ussery said LeAn did not follow department policy because he did not document the incident. Campbell said the deputy called her Wednesday to say he was filing a report.

Ussery said Campbell at the time of the bite declined a report and declined to pursue criminal charges, though she indicated someone needed to observe the dog.

Campbell said her attempts to contact the dogs' owner over the next few days were not successful.
Ussery said 20 days after the bite, Campbell told the deputy she wanted to press charges.

Commissioner Harold Bengsch said the dog's brain has been sent to Jefferson City for testing in a lab.

Coulter said Monday he believed the dog's owner had already had the dog tested and that he thought it was found not to have rabies. Testing for rabies requires that the animal be euthanized first.

At the time, Nunez doubted Coulter's statement, asking what his proof was.

 

Campbell said she understands the chance the animal has rabies is small. But only a test can tell for sure.

In the county, there is no requirement for animals to be vaccinated against rabies, Bengsch said, adding he is not sure if the county would have the authority to implement a vaccination requirement.

Still, he urged animal owners to take proactive action.

"When animals run at large you just don't know what their exposure might be. That's why it's so incumbent to have animals immunized against rabies," Bengsch said.

Campbell has not received the rabies vaccine, but Nunez did. He said the procedure involved numerous shots and was both painful and costly.

(Springfield News-Leader - Jul 25, 2014)