National Dog Bite Prevention Week

This week, May 20th - May 26th, is a national dog bite prevention week. During this week dog owners and their neighbors are paying a closer attention to their dogs’ behavior. Every year more than 4.7 million people become the victims of dog bites, mostly young kids, and the outcome can be lethal.

Here are some thoughts on keeping everyone safe, and happy.

What you can do to prevent dog bites.

Choose breeds that are less violent.

Puppies are cute, and sometimes we forget that a puppy is not a toy, but a responsibility. When adopting a puppy, assure that you will be able to train and control the adult dog. Some dogs, such as Pit Bulls, tend to be more violent, and require special training.

Train your dog properly.

If you own a large dog, it is more important to train it properly. Large dogs tend to scare small children more than small dogs. Buy a training book, take the dog to a training school, and make sure that it understands and responds to your commands. Dogs like to play, no matter their size, and sometimes they may not
understand that their fun can injure someone. Teach your dog to respond to your commands immediately; one of these commands may save somebody’s life.

Keep your dog healthy.

Do not forget to feed and play with your dog, and give your dog plenty of exercise. Take your dog to a vet regularly. Spend some quality time with Fido. A healthy dog is a happy dog, and happy dogs do not tend to bite.

Be cautious around strange dogs.

Do not try to play with a strange dog. Always ask the owner’s permission, and teach your children to do the same. Children are the most common victims of the dog bites, and often it happens because they may not know how to behave around dogs.

Do to leave your baby or a small child alone with a dog.

The situation may be dangerous. Small children may hurt the dog, and the lovely pet may react violently. Watch your children at all times, especially with a big dog nearby.

What to do if a dog bites you.

Get needed medical attention. If you do not initially know who owns the dog, try to find out from neighbors. If you know the owner’s identity, ask the owner for the name and contact information for their homeowner’s insurance company. You can tell them that usually these insurers will pay medical bills. Ask the owner if the dog has been vaccinated and has a rabies license. Contact the veterinarian clinic to validate the rabies license. Call an attorney as soon as you can to get additional legal advice.

How an attorney can help you.

You have the right to be compensated. This includes money to pay medical bills, and additional money for any pain, suffering, disruption of your life, scarring, and other “negative” consequences of being bitten. An attorney will be able to provide a realistic evaluation of your claims, and will always be able to secure more for you, even after any fee is deducted, than you can obtain on your own. Insurance companies do not want to pay you. Having an attorney will place you in a much better position to recover compensation than if you attempt to represent yourself.

Pit Bulls Not Wanted, Maryland

It seems every decade or so, some dog breed falls into disfavor. Doberman Pinschers and Rottweilers come to mind. Now the Pit Bull has that distinction.

I have owned dogs. I had small children at the time. I loved the concept of my child growing up with a puppy, Dogs are unique in that there is absolute, unconditional love. My dogs were small, what I called “white, powder-puff” types. My dogs fit entirely in your lap.

I understand wanting a dog for protection. It is a tough world, and having a big strong dog that barks at those not welcome can be a blessing.

Some dogs, perhaps due to a combination of their owner’s ignorance and the dog’s breeding are, simply, dangerous. We try to be politically correct and not generalize. Unfortunately, with dogs, that is not always possible.

Maryland’s highest Court recently decided a case involving the beleaguered Pit Bull. They decided that if your Pit Bull bites somebody, you are responsible. Period. No questions. No defense. The law is called strict liability. The justices apparently were convinced that Pit Bull dogs are so dangerous, they will not allow any excuse for injury they cause; thus the individuals who choose to keep them as pets do so at their own financial risk.

The results of this decision will affect both your insurance and where you live. Insurers in Maryland will soon exclude Pit Bulls from homeowner’s insurance policies, and it is expected that you will not be able to rent an apartment in Maryland if you own a Pit Bull, as apartment owners will not rent to you if you own a Pit Bull.

The concern Maryland exhibited is shared in many places all over the country. Pit Bulls have, correctly or not, become known as violent dogs. In 2004 in Council Bluffs, Iowa (a small county of about 60,000 citizens) there were 29 Pit Bull bites reported; that number became zero after the county made owning a Pit Bull illegal.

Along with the Pit Bull bans and regulations seen around the country, Prince George’s County, Maryland took steps to address Pit Bull fear. Owning this type of dog is illegal in the county. The only exception is if you had your dog before November 1, 1996, and your dog has been continuously registered with Animal Control, and wears a tag that identifies it as a registered Pit Bull. You can keep your dog as long as it is kept in a secure building or kennel at all times, and it is on a leash and under the control of an adult when it is outside. The violation of this section will result in fines and even a prison sentence of the owner.

Pit Bulls have enormous jaw strength, developed through selective breeding. There are several breeds that are classified as Pit Bulls, such as the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Bulldog, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Staffordshire Terrier. Mixed-breed dogs that have the combination of these breeds are also under this classification.

Pit Bulls were bred to become strong fighting dogs. Their "hold and shake" bite style was designed to inflict the maximum damage on their victim. Some Pit Bull advocates will tell you that if the dog is trained well, it will never attack a human, or another dog. This may be true; unfortunately, experience has shown that Pit
Bulls will turn on their owners. Perhaps these owners did not train their dogs well enough.

The laws and bans have been put into place to protect people. More than half of Pit Bull attacks are children. Agree with the rationale, or not. Until dog owners can demonstrate that they can control their dogs, I for one am in favor of protecting my friends and neighbors, and particularly my kids, and yours.