On the morning of July 8, Richard Howells was walking his small dog, Coco, on Rothrock Alley when a snarling dog ran through an open gate straight at them. Richard saved Coco by quickly picking her up, but he was bitten on the leg. “It happened very fast,” says Richard, who cleaned the two deep puncture wounds and went to report the incident to Deputy Ron Davis before leaving on a planned trip to Tucson. Once there, he was examined by a doctor and given an antibiotic. He did not choose to press charges against the dog’s owner.
The owner did not have a listed phone number. Law enforcement deemed it too dangerous to approach the house, as there were dogs on the property and a “No Trespassing” sign on the fence. Two days later, they were finally able to talk to the owner, and he was told to keep the dog that bit Howell quarantined for ten days. There was some question about the dog’s rabies vaccination being up to date, but a phone call to the vet verified that his shots were current.
However, Howell’s problems were not over. The bite became infected. Then, when he went to Mariposa Clinic, he learned that people are treated for dog bites in Patagonia fairly regularly. Knowing that he wasn’t an exceptional case made him even more uneasy.
According to Joe Patterson, Patagonia has had no cases of people getting rabies from a local dog bite since he became marshal more than three years ago. However, we are experiencing a rabies epidemic in southern Arizona. Anyone bitten by an infected animal needs to get rabies shots within 12 hours. After 48 hours the chances of survival are almost zero. If the rabies virus is active, waiting 10 days is a certain death sentence. Richard Howells wonders—as do many people who have experienced the fear of walking down some of Patagonia’s streets—why the town doesn’t do more to ensure human safety when it comes to vicious dogs.
Patterson says that loose dogs are an ongoing concern in town, but that people are the real problem. He says his hands are tied if victims will not carry through and prosecute. Law enforcement can’t fine an owner unless the victim files a complaint and is willing to go to court.
Patagonia does not require licenses, just proof of rabies vaccination. Individual towns can make stricter laws than those written by the state. In light of Howell’s complaint, the Town Council is once again considering revisiting its animal ordinances. PRT plans to report further about this issue in next month’s paper.