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Rhinelander Personal Injury Lawyer

Dog Bite Prevention Tips

Every year, the United States Postal Service, the American Veterinarian Association, and the United States Center for Disease Control team up to present National Dog Bite Prevention Week. This week is the 3rd full week of May each year.

The three organizations feel it is necessary because there are more than 4.7 million dog bite attacks reported each year. Children that are between 5 and 9 years of age have the highest rate of dog-bite related injuries. Of all of the injuries to children under 4, 2/3s are injuries to the head or neck region. In addition, boys are more frequently injured than girls.

The organizations emphasize that there are certain things it is important to teach and re-teach children concerning dog behavior. This includes a basic list of 10 rules that all children should know. The list is as follows:

• Do not approach unfamiliar dogs, not all dogs are friendly.
• Do not run from a strange dog and scream. This behavior just encourages the dog to chase you.
• Remain motionless when approached by an unfamiliar dog.
• If a dog that is unfamiliar knocks you over, roll into a ball and stay still. This protects the face if the dog decides to attack.
• Do not play with a dog unless supervised by an adult. This is so that if something goes wrong, an adult knows immediately.
• Immediately report stray dogs or dogs that display unusual behavior.
• Avoid direct contact with the dog.
• Do not disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies. Hence the phrase “let sleeping dogs lie”.
• Allow a dog that you have just met to see and to sniff you before you pet it.
• If bitten, immediately report the bit.

From 1979 to 1998, dogs with pit bull ancestry were involved in 1/3 of all fatal dog bites. 66 purebred pit bulls attacked and killed people while 10 pit bull mixes attacked. That gives them 76 fatalities out of a total 238.

If you or someone you know has been bitten by a dog, contact the Rhinelander personal injury lawyers of Habush, Habush, & Rottier, S.C. at 1-800-369-5990 to discuss your case and to schedule an initial consultation.