Dog bites are one of the most common injuries received from animals every year. In the United States, approximately 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs on a yearly basis, leading to 53.9 million dollars in medical costs. With more than 90 million dogs kept as pets in the United States, it’s exceedingly likely that you or someone you know may be at risk for a dog bite injury.
Train Your Animal
It’s vital when you get a dog that you train the animal appropriately. Dogs should be trained not to jump on people, and to sit when approached by a stranger in public. Additionally, dogs should be trained not to use their mouths when playing. Even a minor nip can easily break skin and cause a costly injury.
Always Keep It on a Leash Outdoors
Not only is this the law in Arizona, it’s also a commonsense practice. When an animal is properly leashed and handled, it’s a lot more difficult for them to bolt or otherwise escape from human control if they’re overcome by their prey drive. Additionally, properly leashing your animal while in public enables you to keep them safe from other dogs, vehicles, or substances on the ground which they may be inclined to eat.
Know Animal Body Language
Just like people, dogs have unique body language. Because they cannot speak, body language is how they communicate their needs to humans and other dogs. An animal’s body language can often be an early warning sign that they are feeling fearful or aggressive and may be about to lash out and bite. If you learn the basic signals of animal body language, you may be able to intervene in a situation that your animal finds stressful before it feels the need to lash out physically.
Supervise Dogs Around Children
No matter how friendly the animal is, all dogs have the capacity to bite a human being. Children can be injured grievously even by small, inoffensive dogs, and do not always have the cognitive capacity to know when their actions are upsetting an animal. It’s vital that children and dogs be always under the supervision of a competent adult. It only takes a second for tragedy to occur.
Have you been injured by a dog or has your dog injured another person? Do not delay. Contact us at Simon Law Group to explore your legal options!
