4 dog bites reported in Elbert County, health officials warning pet owners

Heather Willard
·2 min read

DENVER (KDVR) — The Elbert County Health Department is warning pet owners to obey leash laws after receiving four reports of dogs biting people in the past week.

According to the agency, all of the bites occurred in the Elizabeth area.

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The health department noted that dogs bite for many reasons, but said most commonly a dog will bite as a reaction to something, such as a stressful situation. The dog may feel it necessary to protect itself or its territory with a bite, or because they were startled or threatened. The situations surrounding the recent dog bites in Elizabeth have not been shared.

The Elbert County agency reminded all owners to either ensure all gates to a fenced yard are secure or obey leash laws while the dog is not contained. Additional tips provided by the department include:

  • Be alert and recognize the signs that your dog is stressed, uncomfortable or aggressive

  • Be prepared to prevent the escalation of a situation

  • Remove your dog from situations that could increase the risk of a bite

Under Colorado’s Revised Code, all animal bites must be reported within 12 hours of the event. The overarching concern is that the bite could spread rabies to the victim.

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Additionally, under the revised code, dog bites have a strict liability statute. For dog owners, that means if your dog bites someone, there’s a possibility that you could be held liable, even if you were unaware your dog was dangerous, aggressive or capable of the attack.

Dog owners can also be held liable if they try to restrain the dog.

To report a bite, call the city or county government where the bite happened, not where the animal lives. In Elbert County, that would mean calling the Environmental Health staff at 303-621-3193.

In Denver, the Animal Protection Office offers an online form to fill out. All pets that bite a human in Denver are required to quarantine for 10 days from the bite date.

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According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, hundreds of thousands of dog bites occur in the U.S. each year. Forbes reported in October 2023 that 4.5 million Americans suffer dog bites each year.

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