A dog owner received three citations after their pet bit a 64-year-old man on Tuesday morning on the East Side, according to Animal Care Services.
A dog owner received three citations after their pet bit a 64-year-old man on Tuesday morning on the East Side, according to Animal Care Services.
The incident happened around 9 a.m. in the 700 block of Delmar Street near South Mittman Street.
ACS said the man was bitten in the leg by a loose German Shepherd.
The injury was mild, and he was treated at the scene, ACS said.
The investigation determined that a good Samaritan had been feeding the dog for several days, but the animal belonged to a resident living on the next street.
The owner told ACS the dog was lost.
ACS gave the owner three criminal citations for allowing an animal to roam free of restraint, failing to provide proof of current rabies vaccination, and failing to prevent a bite, the department said.
Tuesday’s incident happened a day after ACS Director Jon Gary told KSAT there’s an 11% uptick in reported animal bites so far this year.
That could, in part, be due to increased awareness, leading to more reports, Gary said, following his presentation to the city’s Public Safety Committee on Monday.
The department has also increased the number of criminal citations it issues by 221% and civil citations by 46%. The city council also increased the fine amounts for repeat violations of the city’s animal codes.
Read more: Animal bite reports up in San Antonio, ACS director says
