A DuPage County sheriff's tracking dog will be quarantined in his handler's West Chicago home through next Saturday after biting two pedestrians Thursday night.
According to police reports, Hunter, a 4-year-old bloodhound, bit an unidentified woman Thursday night as she walked with a friend on the 600 block of Fieldcrest Drive. Hunter bit the woman without being provoked, the report said.
Moments later, Hunter bit a passing female jogger as his handler, a sheriff's deputy, tried to get control of the animal, West Chicago Deputy Police Chief Don Goncher said.
Neither woman was injured seriously, and both were left with only minor bite marks. Both declined to seek medical treatment or press charges, police said.
Hunter is in full compliance with all shots and vaccinations and is not a health threat, the police report said.
Authorities said the dog escaped from his handler's yard through a damaged fence. The fence was quickly repaired.
Goncher would not identify the deputy who owns the dog or the women who were bitten.
"It was just one of those freak dog things," he said. "Thankfully, no one was seriously injured."
A spokeswoman for DuPage County Sheriff John Zaruba confirmed Hunter is a member of the office's 20-year-old K-9 Unit. But she said she could not provide further details on Thursday's incident because the deputy in question had not yet completed a report.
The spokeswoman could not say if or when the dog will resume his official duties.
Bloodhounds are known for their keen ability to follow a human scent trail, even if the trail has been contaminated. They usually work for eight or nine years.
Police dogs typically live with the officers to whom they are assigned.
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