A Rottweiler bit an owner and a woman in a Reno casino on Friday, reports the Washoe County Animal Control. The woman reportedly told Dotty Casino staff that the dog was a service dog.
One of the bite victims was a 62-year-old woman who had pet the dog when it lashed out and bit her. A retired paramedic was in the casino when the event happened.
The owner, a man in his 70s, brought his 110-pound Rottweiler into the casino with him, but kept the dog on a leash.
The bite victim, Susan Hartley, said she is afraid of dogs, but the casino staff reassured her that the man was a frequent visitor to the casino and that the dog was a service animal.
Local animal control said the bite occurred after 1 am on Friday. Hartley was taken to the hospital for treatment. Animal control quarantined the dog and brought in the owner.
“The dog has all of the required shots and, according to the owner, it was a service dog,” says Erick Lamun, field supervisor of the Washoe County Animal Control.
Nevada Service Dog Laws do not permit public businesses to ask for proof that a dog is a service dog or going through service dog training.
The CDC estimates that there are 4.5 million dog bites in the United States each year, and about 900,000 of those bites become infected. California has the highest rate of dog bite reports in the entire country, according to Robert Hamparyan Injury Lawyers.
Dog bites can occur for a variety of reasons, experts say. Even a dog that has a history of being polite can lash out and bite at any time if it feels:
Threatened or scared
Stressed
Unwell
Dogs often bite when protecting their puppies or during play. And while dogs are likely to bite children, anyone is susceptible to a bite. Dogs are also more likely to bite if they are not spayed or neutered.
Of all the dog breeds, 76% of bites were from Rottweilers and Pit Bulls.
Dog bite-related insurance claims amounted to $530 million in 2014. Dog bite related fatalities are rare, with just 41 deaths occurring in 2016. Rottweilers accounted for two of those deaths, while Pitt Bulls accounted for 22. About 31% of the deaths were in children aged 3-6 days, but 58% of deaths occurred in people over the age of 30.
