No one wants to be bitten by a dog. But, a person can encounter loose dogs that are aggressive. There are ways to prevent being bit. People should report aggressive, loose dogs to the police so they can be removed and not endanger anyone. Ultimately, the owner is responsible for injuries a dog inflicts.

Getting Help if A Dangerous Dog Has Injured You

Personal Injury attorneys can help people who have been injured by dogs. But first, the injured person must get away from the dog, seek help from the police, and ensure the dog is captured and tested for rabies. The injured person must get immediate medical attention for the bites and obtain treatment for rabies if the dogs have not had shots or have the disease.

After the situation has been handled, the dogs identified, and their owner has been found and cited, it is time to contact a personal injury lawyer to handle the case and get the injured party compensation. The lawyer will investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack and determine if there is a reason to go forward with a personal injury lawsuit. The injured party must show negligence on the dog owner’s part.

Avoiding Dog Bites

Here are 10 dog bite prevention strategies. Some apply to interacting with strange dogs and some involve interacting with family dogs. Some strategies apply to children because they suffer 70% of dog bites. It is important to practice safe behavior around all dogs including personal pets in the home.

Within-the-family rules:

1. Choose the correct breed and personality of dog for the family. Do the research into favorite breed choices for common personality and behavior traits. If there are small children in the family, get a breed of dog known to be good with children.

2. Train the dog from day one. They need to learn basic dog manners, appropriate behavior, and normal commands. This includes teaching the dog good behavior rather than aggressive behaviors. Do not play roughly with the dog.

3. Spay or neuter the dog because this helps them be less aggressive. It also helps keep the dog population down.

4. Socialize the dog by giving it opportunities to meet and interact with different people and other dogs.

5. Be responsible and get the dog licensed and vaccinated. Follow leash laws, and don’t let dogs run loose. Spend lots of time with the dog as part of the family.

6. Train yourself and all family members to act properly around dogs. This includes leaving a dog alone when it is eating, sleeping, or caring for puppies. Small children should always be supervised by an adult when playing with the dog.

Encountering Strange dogs:

7. Do not approach a strange, unaccompanied dog, and do not attempt to pet any dog without allowing it to sniff and see you first.

8. Rather than running from a dog screaming, remain motionless when approached by a strange dog. Do not make direct eye contact with strange dogs.

9. If a strange dog acts aggressively and knocks you over, roll in a ball, using hands and arms to protect your head, and lie still.

10. Report any strange dogs, loose dogs, or dogs acting strangely or aggressively to the police right away, and don’t go near them.

But, on the chance that a dog attacks and bites a person without warning, get help immediately to remove the dog from the person it bit and get the injured person medical help. Report the incident to the police. The dog must be quarantined and tested for rabies if there is no proof of rabies vaccinations.