Four Dog Bites Reported in New Trier Township Last Week

Four dog bites have been reported in the New Trier Township area last week — two in Wilmette and two in Glencoe, police reports state. 

In Wilmette on June 9, a dog walker and his dog were reportedly bitten by a golden retriever on the 700 block of 11th St. The golden retriever left a porch he was on and grabbed the toy poodle, causing injuries so major that the toy poodle had to be euthanized. The dog walker sustained bites on the hand when trying to stop the attack. 

A couple walking on the 1200 block of Greenwood Ave. in Wilmette were bitten on the legs by a Goldendoodle on June 10, police state. The Goldendoodle escaped out of the front door of a house after it was opened. 

A King Cavalier Charles Spaniel was attacked by a mixed breed dog in Glencoe on June 10, according to police. The attacking dog was not current on its rabies shots and was impounded. 

On June 10, a tow truck driver there to restart a car at a home on the 100 block of Timber Ln. reported to police that a mixed breed black dog bit the complainant on the left calf. The dog was impounded for 10 days. 

Katie Sweeny, who is in charge of animal control in Glencoe, said that dog bites are common during the summer. 

"It's that time of year," she said. "Dogs are out in the yard, people are walking their dogs, sometimes they're off leash." 

In Cook County, she said, there is a mandatory 10 day rabies isolation for any dog or cat that attacked another person or animal. If the rabies shots are current, the animal can serve the isolation period in their home. If the shots are not current, the animal will be impounded for the 10 days. 

Sweeney noted that dogs involved in an attack can be rehabilitated.

"It can be fine," she said. "We find out why the bite occurred — what the problem was, if it was outside factors. ... We also encourage the owner to take their dog to the vet. There may be an underlying health problem" 

Sweeney said that it's not just the animals that need assistance in preventing and finding solutions after an attack. 

"It's not just the dogs who need to be trained," she said. "People need to be trained too." 

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), any dog can attack if provoked. There is currently no research proving that any one breed is more likely to attack than others, the website states. 

The ASPCA recommends teaching children how to act around dogs and to avoid provoking them. The organization also recommends socializing puppies as early and as often as possible, both with other dogs and with humans.