What is the first step when responding to a dog bite incident?

The correct course of action when responding to a dog bite incident involves prioritizing safety and controlling the situation. Asking the owner to restrain the animal is essential to prevent any further incidents or injuries. By ensuring the dog is secured, you minimize the risk of additional bites to victims or responders and stabilize the scene. This step is crucial in maintaining safety for both individuals present and the animal itself, allowing other procedures, such as notifying animal control or conducting an investigation, to follow in a controlled environment.

While informing animal control and conducting a follow-up investigation are important steps that come later, the immediate concern must be to secure the dog to prevent further harm. As such, ensuring the animal is restrained is the foundational action in the response to a dog bite incident.