Potentially Dangerous Dogs Subject to Board of Health Hearing

The following is a letter to the editor from the Westfield Board of Health:

To the Editor:

The Westfield Board of Health met on August 5, 2013.

Two dogs were subject to a hearing to designate them as Potentially Dangerous, but the owners agreed to restrictions on the dogs' activities instead. This was the first time in years that such actions were pursued.

Residents must license all cats and dogs through the Town Clerk and get them vaccinated against rabies, due to the presence of rabies in the county. In addition, cats should be kept indoors and dogs should be supervised when outdoors to prevent them from being bitten by a wild animal.

An animal that is not properly licensed and vaccinated against rabies and that is involved in a biting incident is subject to a quarantine of at least 10 days, and the owner will be issued a summons. The Board would appreciate any suggestions from residents on increasing dog and cat licensure and rabies prevention.

To pick up stray domestic animals and injured and ill wildlife and dead animals on public property and streets, please contact the town's program with Animal Control Solutions LLC at 908-310-1452 or http://www.animalcontrolsolutions.org/.  To collect dead deer on streets and public property or for more information, please contact the Westfield Regional Health Department at 908-789-4070.

Fifty-three retail food establishments were inspected in June and July, of which 50 initially had satisfactory inspections.  The other 3 were satisfactory on reinspection. 

The “Be Hard Headed” safety campaign distributed 120 free bicycle helmets to Westfield children to prevent head injuries.  For more information, please contact Laura Scanlon, MS, RN, the Public Health Nursing Supervisor, at 908-789-4070, extension 4074or lscanlon@westfieldnj.gov.

Finally, the Westfield Regional Health Department will sponsor health screenings with Overlook Medical Center in the Municipal Building.  Free hearing screenings will be offered on Thursday, August 22, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  Cholesterol screenings will be on Thursday, September 19, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and there is a $10.00 charge.  For more information and to register, please call the Overlook Community Health Department at 1-800-247-9580.

Information about all of the Department’s activities is available on its website http://www.westfieldnj.gov/health, which was recently expanded and improved.  The complete minutes of the August 5 meeting will be posted after review and approval at our September 9 meeting, which starts at 5:00 p.m. in the Municipal Building.

Lawrence D. Budnick, MD

President, Westfield Board of Health