Whether you are attacked in someone’s backyard or in an alleyway, dog bites can pose a serious threat towards many Ohio residents. In fact, Ohio consistently ranks in the top ten states with the most reported dog bite incidents per year.There are different individuals you need to contact if you are bitten. Getting a hold of these people can help you recover from the attack and potentially prevent the dog from harming you or anyone else again.Receive immediate medical assistanceAnimal bites increase your risk of getting rabies or tetanus. While some people wait to see if anything develops, you should seek medical treatment as soon as you can. It is recommended even for people who did not receive large puncture marks from the dog’s teeth. Waiting too long can increase your infection risk, and doctors have a better chance of preventing it from spreading if you go to them immediately.In the meantime, you should put water, soap and antibiotic cream on your wounds before covering it up with a large bandage. Keeping it unexposed increases your chance of developing major diseases.Get a hold of animal controlIf the animal poses a threat to you, then other people who pass the dog’s location could be at risk. The Ohio Department of Health recommends that after a bite, you or someone who has knowledge of the bite should contact a local health jurisdiction or animal control unit. Give them any necessary details like the dog’s breed, location or any other circumstances that led to the attack.The group you contact will investigate the animal and inform you if it has any diseases that it could have spread to you. If the dog was found with a high chance of rabies, then they will either quarantine or put it down to prevent any harm to future bystanders.See if the dog’s owner is nearIf the dog’s owner is nearby or you have contact information regarding the location where the attack happened, you should see if you can talk to the pet’s caretaker. The owner can give you information about their dog’s behavior and vaccination history to see if the attack was out of the ordinary or not.Similar to a car accident, you should obtain as much contact information about the owner as you can. Since the owner is liable in a dog bite case, you could pursue legal action against them to receive potential compensation for your injuries.