A Beaufort County deputy was bitten on the hand by a dog while assisting with an incident Thursday on Oyster Street in Bluffton.

The dog was walking on the road near Oyster and 1st streets. The deputy approached the animal and it walked toward a home, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff's Office report. When the deputy followed to make sure the animal was properly confined, it lunged and bit his right hand just above the knuckles, slightly puncturing the skin.

A neighbor told the deputy the dog had bitten him in July. The owner provided proof of a current rabies vaccination, and the deputy explained animal-control laws. The owner said she would not let the dog out on its own again.