Can you help Rob avoid a rabies shot?

Out of the WSB inbox – a request for help, from Rob:

I was hoping that you could help me in our search for the owner of a dog that was on leash outside Prost on California Ave on Monday, November 16th at around 5:45 pm. At about this time, I was bitten on the face by this dog and ended up in the emergency room with severe lacerations to my upper and lower lips.

It is required that hospitals report all dog bites to King County Health, who called me this morning and told me that if I wasn’t able to locate the dog and the owner, they would recommend that I get a rabies vaccination. The treatment would be painful and I would like to avoid this if at all possible. I need to find the owner to obtain some information that would allow me to avoid any more pain.

Rob’s story continues – read on:

Cole, the manager of Prost, has been informed of what happened and the staff is helping in the search. I’m hoping that the bartenders working that night will know the owner but in case they don’t, I thought the blog might be a good way to get the word out. Thank you in advance for any help you can lend.

Here’s what happened with a description of the dog:

A friend and I left Prost around 5:45pm. When I exited the door there was what I remember as a dark brown small to medium sized dog tied up outside to my left. I’m not great with breeds but I believe it was some kind of cocker, cocker mix, or similar breed. There were no other dogs around. It looked at me and wagged its tail so I let it sniff my hand and then gave it a pat on the head. We started to walk away and my friend realized he’d left something inside. He went in and when I turned around I saw that the dog was now away from the door, on the edge of the sidewalk, wagging its tail and looking at me. Being a sucker for a pretty face and feeling sorry for this dog sitting out in the rain by itself, I walked back over to it, leaned over to give it another little pat and the next thing I knew it had bitten my face.

I pulled away and then reached up to feel the damage. It wasn’t good.

I could feel that my lower lip was severely damaged and my hand was immediately coated in blood. My friend returned and I told him I wanted to go to the hospital immediately but needed something to put pressure on the wounds. He ran inside the bar and returned with a bar towel. We got into my car and he drove me to Swedish on 1st Hill. In our state of panic my friend and I left without finding the owner.

At Swedish, I was examined by the doctor on duty and luckily there was no tissue-loss which meant no plastic surgery was necessary. My wounds were cleaned, I was numbed and then stitched up. I have 12 stitches in my upper lip and about 18 or so in my lower. I’m still swollen but was told that I will recover with a minimal scar on my upper lip. I’m okay with this because Harrison Ford has a similar scar in a similar location.

Rob Rowe
206.778.5101
rob.rowe@comcast.net

36 Replies to "Can you help Rob avoid a rabies shot?"

  • 3dogslater November 18, 2009 (8:43 pm)

    That sucks! I feel for you.
    I hope the owner comes forward. Maybe you could ask the owners of Prost if you can post a flyer inside relating to the day/time of incident with your contact info and maybe they will see it and do the right thing. Hopefully they will come forward from seeing your post here. A friend of mine just had the same thing happen to her and has to undergo plastic surgery . I am going to have her email you. You have a good outlook hang in there.

  • Bender November 18, 2009 (8:47 pm)

    I hope you find the owner.

  • twirl-a-whirl November 18, 2009 (9:08 pm)

    I’m so sorry to hear this. Dog bites are not fun. I still bear the scars from two dog attacks as a child, but I still love dogs. I’m glad you’ll only have a small scar as a reminder of this incident. Another thing about this is that the attack was by a seemingly benign type of dog (as were mine), and not a pitbull; if it had been a pitty, everyone and their mother would be screaming from the high heavens for it to be shot. We have known and loved two of these “nanny dogs,” and they are just cuddle bugs of the first degree, if raised right. Again, so sorry about this attack.

  • J Winter November 18, 2009 (9:35 pm)

    Rob, a few years ago I had a confrontation with a couple of bats and had to go through the rabies treatment. There were A LOT of shots the first day then only one shot every few days over a period of weeks. Not the most fun you’ll ever have but not as bad as it sounds. Being bitten by the dog is probably worse.Hang in there!

  • ss November 18, 2009 (9:58 pm)

    so sorry that you got hurt.

    i wish people would stop tying up their pets and leaving them. this is not safe for the pet or other people. it doesn’t matter how sweet you think your dog is, you put them at risk. they aren’t protected and invite these situations and others… what if someone came up and hurt it or gave it something bad to eat… let alone another dog that isn’t so friendly.

  • Living in West Seattle Since 1985 November 18, 2009 (10:08 pm)

    WOW! That is Horrible! I hope the dog & its owner are found so you can make sure your do not need the shots! Best of luck!

    As a dog owner, I walk my 2 pups in that area often. There are several very nice dogs meeting that description though. If I were you, I would make a poster and put it up around the parks (Westcrest is the most popular for dogs) and in Pet supply stores. I am sure someone will know something.

  • herongrrrl November 18, 2009 (10:14 pm)

    Rob, I would talk to a veterinarian if I were you to get a sense of the real need for rabies treatment. Rabies is extremely uncommon here. Yes, the standard procedure would be to recommend the treatment if someone has been bitten by a dog whose vaccination status is unknown, but the odds are vastly in your favor of rabies being a non-issue in this case. Folks from the areas of the country where rabies is more common might be unaware of how rare it is here and recommend unnecessary treatment.

    I’m not saying you shouldn’t accept preventative treatment, but I think getting another opinion or two might be helpful for you. Hope you find the owner soon regardless, and you don’t scar too badly!

  • blezjez November 18, 2009 (10:26 pm)

    The owners are responsible for your medical bills. If they know about this, and are responsible pet owners, and decent people at all, certainly they will be concerned about you and what happened and will come forward to verifiy the health of the dog and its shot history.

  • Jeff November 18, 2009 (10:56 pm)

    I looked it up and found that rabies in humans is rare with only 36 cases reported since 1980, 21 of them linked to bats. Each year, about 40,000 people receive treatment for bites from potentially infected animals to prevent rabies.

    In about 1965 I was bitten by a bat later confirmed to have rabies. Though no picnic, the series of 14 daily shots was not all that bad, and I’m told treatment is now better than it was then.

  • maude November 19, 2009 (7:36 am)

    why did you put your face where a dog you didn’t know could bite you?

  • Meghan November 19, 2009 (7:40 am)

    This is so awful. But we can use it as a reminder that it is not safe (for either the dog or innocent pedestrians) to leave dogs tied up outside restaurants — they can be stolen, abused for one thing. And something like this ought to be reported to the police immediately. If I’d been bitten in the face by a dog, I think I would have found out who it belonged to (but I realize he was probably ‘in shock’). It’s just too bad there wasn’t someone there to make sure the dog – or its owners – didn’t go anywhere until police arrived and a report was filed. Now there is a still a dog out there that attacks strangers – and possibly owners who don’t know it.

  • CA November 19, 2009 (8:06 am)

    Where were the owners of this dog during the bite? Were they not in Prost? They didn’t hear the attack, what kind of dog? I was bit in face by dog the owners are totally responsible for the medical bills.

  • lenamegan November 19, 2009 (8:18 am)

    From a veterinarian –
    Rabies is extremely uncommon here, we have had one case of rabies in a domestic animal since 1976 in all of washington state and it was a barn cat in Eastern Washington. We do have a resevoir in bats. That being said anytime you are dealing with a deadly disease better safe then sorry.

    Usually if the dog can be found we can quarantine it and avoid the rabies shots issue. Animals can only pass rabies in end stage disease so if they don’t show neurologic signs within 14 days of biting you, you don’t have to worry about the rabies issue.

    Even though rabies is so rare every time I have been bitten I will quarantine the cat or dog if I do not know vaccine history. It just is not something to mess with. Rabies is almost always fatal and the few cases it isn’t in you are pretty much a vegetable for life.

    Hopefully the dog can be found and you can avoid the shots.

  • Kayleigh November 19, 2009 (8:18 am)

    Sorry that happened to you, Rob. And I’m the type of animal lover who regular puts my face in front of dogs and cats, maude. That doesn’t mean I or anyone else deserves to be bitten…or snarked at when asking for help.

  • Angelina November 19, 2009 (9:08 am)

    I was bitten by a dog as a child.

    Because the owner took off with the dog when confronted by police that night( he actually climbed out the bathroom window and drove off with his dog) I had to have rabies shots. No one should go through that.

    It doesnt matter if the shots arent as bad as they were when I was a kid, 15 shots in the belly. It still is horrible and I still have issues with needles. No flu shots for me, thank you very much.

    I hope you dont have to go through rabies shots, Rob. I hope that the dog owner comes forward and takes responsibility for their animal and provides the necessary proof of vaccination (people have to do that with their kids now when they go to school, dont they?). I hope they also take care of the medical bills that their dog caused.

  • Jim November 19, 2009 (9:17 am)

    What kind of dog was it? How did it get so close to your mouth?

  • GenHillOne November 19, 2009 (9:33 am)

    “what I remember as a dark brown small to medium sized dog tied up outside to my left. I’m not great with breeds but I believe it was some kind of cocker, cocker mix, or similar breed.”

    I can’t picture the Prost door, any chance the owner was next door – or was it obviously tied to Prost?

  • the art of racing in the rain November 19, 2009 (9:49 am)

    Sorry to hear of the bite but its not the owners fault. Parents should always tell their children to ask the owner first if the dog can be petted and it should go for adults too. The dog was on a leash, but the owner shouldnt leave a dog outside if they dont know their dogs too well. If someone I didnt know put their face next to mine I would protect myself too. I bet you could find the owner if you dont make him pay for your mistake and take responsibility for your own actions.

  • Rob November 19, 2009 (10:14 am)

    Thanks for all of the comments and advice.

    I do know that getting rabies from pets is extremely rare, that the dog would have to be in the late stages of the disease, and that the chance is slim. But, is that slim chance worth a gamble on your life? Who wants to be the guy that dies from rabies? I don’t wish to go in such a ridiculous way. That’s like dying from The Damp or Bubonic Plague:)

    I do take some responsibility and I’m not out to get the owner. Just looking for information.

    And thanks Maude. I know. It’s all my fault and probably deserved what I got. Thanks for setting me straight.

  • gimmeabreak November 19, 2009 (11:00 am)

    Yo, the art of racing in the rain

    Are you nuts? May not be the owner’s fault, but it’s certainly their responsibility.

  • pie November 19, 2009 (11:24 am)

    I think you’re being a bit defensive about Maude’s comment. I too am just wondering how a dog tied up can jump up high enough to bite someone in the face. That doesn’t mean I think you deserved what you got. It’s called human curiousity.

  • glendafrench November 19, 2009 (11:57 am)

    This is why I have indoor house cats.

  • eileen November 19, 2009 (12:01 pm)

    Small dogs can jump very high. I was bitten once by a very small dog who jumped up and latched on to the back of my upper arm – unprovoked.
    Let’s not point fingers – does anyone know of a dog of this description? Talk about it to friends and let’s help Rob.

  • cakeitseasy November 19, 2009 (12:06 pm)

    First thing, someone should have called 911…And filed a police report.

    Good luck trying to get the owner to come forward. Unless someone else exposes the dog owner, it’s probably unlikely that he/she will come forward on their own with the potential that they could be held liable for what happened (regardless of what you say you would or would not do).

    Kind of sucks that staff at Prost didn’t make a phone call on your behalf, or check to see if you were ok, considering you were injured and dripping blood in front of their business.

  • laurie November 19, 2009 (12:28 pm)

    Rob – don’t get sucked into the drama – you do not need a rabies shot. Did the dog look like old yellar?

  • Donna November 19, 2009 (1:20 pm)

    Rob,

    I hope you’ve started your vaccine treatments by now. While rabies is rare, it does occur and it’s 100% fatal. I had the vaccine four years ago after a bat encounter, and it was really no big deal. No pain, no stomach shots, and certainly not 14 of them. Its much easier than it used to be.

  • coolmama November 19, 2009 (5:45 pm)

    Oh my, sooo scary! I hope you don’t have to get rabies shots. Getting your lips repaired sounds bad enough!

    My dog and I were once attacked by a tied up dog in Ballard. Being a dog-loving (and trusting) person, I didn’t think twice about walking close enough to this dog that it could reach us on it’s leash. It bit me and broke the skin, and I, too, walked away in shock instead of finding the owners. Luckily I had insurance, so it didn’t matter if I got the owners to pay or not.

    Anyways, I just wanted to say, would have done the exact same thing you did on all accounts.

    It is absolutely 100% the owners fault for typing up an aggressive dog in a public place! Who does that?!?!

  • Rob November 19, 2009 (6:52 pm)

    Update and good news.

    I have located the dog and the owner. And guess what? The dog’s shots are up to date so there’s no need for a vaccination.

    This was the first time this dog has done something like this (lucky me). The owner was shocked, incredibly sorry, felt responsible, and offered to pay for any expenses not covered by my health insurance. There are still some stand-up people out there.

    Thanks to Prost. They were unaware of the incident until I was already at the hospital. The staff were great and incredibly helpful through this whole thing. Special thanks to Cole and Kate.

    Thanks to everyone here that offered helpful suggestions or expressed concern.

    Rob

  • ADOG LOVER November 19, 2009 (7:45 pm)

    I am so impressed that this story has such a happy ending! I mean all things considered…Dogs (no matter HOW nice)feel very vulnerable with people as well as other animals when they are tied up. It is up to us The Dogs Owner, to not leave OUR dogs in that position. I am just glad that Rob (and the dog)are going to be okay and that the owner did the right thing.

  • LyndaB November 19, 2009 (7:47 pm)

    yay, for good news.

  • coolmama November 19, 2009 (9:13 pm)

    Oh what a great update! Wonderful!

  • Michelle November 19, 2009 (10:48 pm)

    Yay for happy ending! My husband was bitten by a dog tied up in the rain a couple of years ago- he didn’t do anything to provoke it, the dog just jumped out and bit him as we walked by!! Moral of the story: I walk around any dogs on the sidewalk, far enough away so they can’t get to me on their leash. Even though they look sweet, they might be under stress and can lash out at strangers.

  • Pat November 20, 2009 (9:35 am)

    I was reading through these posts thinking, no way the owners will show up, considering they may be liable for significant medical bills. So I was so happy to see that they did the right thing; restores a bit of my faith in humanity! Thanks for sharing that.

  • dawsonct November 21, 2009 (11:06 am)

    Accolades to the pet owner who came forward to take responsibility. Too many dog owners seem to have a problem dealing with their pets when they become something more than an accessory.

  • Brian November 22, 2009 (12:22 pm)

    Can you now explain why your face was so close to an animal you dont know’s mouth? I mean… c’mon!

  • Rob November 23, 2009 (3:23 pm)

    Actually Brian, my face wasn’t close at all. He jumped up so quickly I didn’t even know what had happened. Must have been the springer in him.

    Do you know Maude by any chance?

Sorry, comment time is over.