Franklin Co. Health Dept. Looking for Dog That Bit Franklin Springs Man

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

Franklin County Environmental Health Director Louis Korff is asking for the public’s help to locate a pit bull or pit mix dog that attacked a man over the weekend.

Korff said it happened Sunday at a home in Franklin Springs.

“Sunday afternoon, a gentleman in Franklin Springs was mowing his lawn and a gray Pit Bull or Pit Bull mix came out of nowhere and bit him on the thigh,” Korff said. “Then the dog ran off and disappeared. The gentleman went to the hospital. The hospital input the information to me. I made contact with the gentlemen and he said he didn’t recognize the dog and had never seen it before.”

Korff said he notified Franklin Springs Police and on Monday, Korff along with local law enforcement worked to find someone who recognized the animal or knew who owned it.

“We all went canvassing the area. I went door-to-door to homes and all the businesses asking for people’s help in looking for this medium-sized Pit Bull mix in the Franklin Springs area,” Korff said.

Korff said the dog inflicted a very severe bite on the man’s leg.

Korff said the issue is, it’s not known if the dog had been vaccinated for rabies.

He said it’s important the dog be found and quarantined.

“It’s absolutely imperative that I find this dog so we can quarantine it or have it tested for rabies, so we can avoid having this gentleman undergo post-exposure treatment,” Korff said. “So if the public could just be watchful and if they see this dog wandering the Franklin Springs/Royston area to please call 911 or my office.”

If someone is bitten by an animal and it’s not available for testing, officials must assume the animal was positive for rabies.

Korff said if the dog is not found within 10 days, the man who was bitten will have to undergo a series of post rabies exposure vaccinations.

Meantime, Korff reminds pet owners to have their animals vaccinated against this deadly disease which is always fatal in both animals and humans.

Again, the dog is a gray Pit Bull or Pit Bull mix that was running loose in the Franklin Springs area on Sunday.

If know where the dog is or who owns it, you can call 911 at any time with that information.  You do not have to give your name.