Dog Bite Prevention: Educating Owners and the Public

January 24, 2024

Home » Dog bites

Dog bites are a serious public health issue, with over 4.5 million dog bites occurring in the United States every year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Children are the most common victims, but adults can suffer severe injuries as well. While most dog bites are from family pets, even well-trained dogs have the potential to bite. Education for both dog owners and the general public is key to reducing bites and their impact. Communities should prioritize accessible education around prevention.

Understanding Dog Behavior

To prevent dog bites, owners must understand normal dog behavior versus aggressive behavior. Dogs naturally use their mouths to communicate, but mouthing typically does not break the skin. Signs of aggression like baring teeth, tense muscles, growling, stalking, or attacking indicate a dog is feeling threatened and may escalate to biting if pushed. Staying calm, creating space, and avoiding eye contact can help diffuse tense situations before a bite occurs. Recognizing and responding appropriately to canine body language is a critical skill for owners.

Proper Socialization and Training

Many bites result from insufficient socialization and training. Puppies missing early positive interactions with people, other pets, noises, and environments can become fearful. Socialization should start as early as 3 weeks old. Ongoing positive training also reduces aggressive tendencies. Reward-based methods work best to reinforce good behaviors. Techniques using punishment or intimidation can actually worsen aggression over time. Owners should seek professional advice if struggling with training. Consistency with rewards and corrections is important when training dogs properly.

Supervising Interactions

Even friendly dogs should not be left alone with children or strangers. Their play may be misinterpreted as aggression or lead to accidental bites due to puppies’ sharp teeth. Small children should be taught how to properly interact with dogs to avoid bites – no pulling tails or ears, poking eyes, using loud voices, hugging tightly, or bothering dogs while eating. Parents should supervise all interactions and keep dogs and babies separate unless actively supervising. Allowing children to treat dogs like stuffed animals can lead to traumatic bites.

Secure Containment

Proper containment minimizes opportunities for bites and other dangerous interactions. Fences or leashes keep community members safe when taking dogs into public areas. At home, baby gates work well for separating dogs and children. Crates not only limit access when owners are away but provide a safe space for dogs themselves. If dogs exhibit territorial, possessive or reactive tendencies, owners may need professional help with containment solutions to avoid liability for bites. Secure gates and fences also protect dogs themselves from getting loose and injured.

Understanding Liability

Dog owners can be held legally responsible for bites depending on laws that vary by state and situation. Homeowner’s insurance may help cover medical bills or legal claims, but often excludes certain breeds considered prone to aggression. It is critical that owners educate themselves on local dangerous animal ordinances, leash laws, and quarantine procedures following bites. Taking responsibility for dogs’ behavior is the best way to avoid legal issues. Checking with insurance providers annually ensures appropriate coverage for dog bites liability.

Educating the Public

Community education helps prevent bites through appropriate interactions with unfamiliar dogs. People should receive consent before approaching and refrain from interacting with dogs displaying fearful body language. Running or shouting can also trigger a chase and bite response. If approached aggressively by an unleashed dog, experts recommend standing still like a tree with arms at your sides rather than trying to outrun the dog. Carrying protection like pepper spray when out walking is also wise in areas with loose dogs. TV and radio public service announcements may effectively share bite prevention tips.

Seeking Legal Recourse

If you are ever bitten by a dog, start by seeking appropriate medical care, which may involve contacting emergency services, visiting urgent care or the ER, getting stitches, or even plastic surgery. Also, file an official bite report with animal control agencies to ensure the incident is on record, which will be essential if considering legal action later. While not every dog bite case warrants suing owners, those involving significant uncompensated damages may benefit from legal guidance.

An experienced dog bite injury attorney from The Brown Firm can advise victims on state laws and procedures for recovering damages. With proper education and responsible ownership, we can work together as a community to prevent these traumatic incidents.

You can find us at the following locations:

7176 Hodgson Memorial Drive, Savannah, GA 31406
320 East Clayton Street, Athens, GA 30601
197 14th St. NW, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30318
110 Traders Cross #226, Okatie, SC 29909

Ready to Talk to a Lawyer Who Has Your Back?

Contact The Brown Firm

Get the Answers and Compensation You Deserve

You’ll notice the difference when you contact The Brown Firm! Our local dedicated attorneys want to help you recover and rebuild.

Schedule your free consultation by calling (800) 529-1441 or completing our simple online form.

Who is Legally Responsible for Dog Bite Injuries in Georgia?

December 20, 2019

Who Is Liable For My Injuries?
Proving Your Claim Against a Dog Owner
Knowledge of the Dog’s Viciousness
Violation of Leash Ordinance

You can’t deny the reality that there is a special bond between dogs and pet owners. For millions of families, a dog is more than just a pet, they’re also part of the family.

Unfortunately, not all dogs are fluffy and sweet members of a household.

Dangerous dogs can cause serious bite injuries to innocent victims. The World Health Organization recently reported that approximately 4.5 million dog bites occur every year in the U.S alone.

A dog attack is a frightening and potentially life-altering experience. It can cause plenty of physical injuries, including puncture wounds, soft tissue injuries, and broken bones, among other serious injuries.

A more severe injury causes infections which may require stitches or even life-threatening issues that may lead to surgery. Moreover, their bite may be left with permanent scarring, disfigurement, and disability.

One of the most severe diseases that can be contracted from dog bites is rabies. While rare, rabies in humans can result in hallucinations, paralysis, confusion, hydrophobia, and eventually death if left untreated.

Dog bites also leave their victims with considerable emotional trauma. The incident can leave emotional trauma, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to name a few.

Here are some common areas for dog bite injuries and tips to prevent a bite.

So what happens when another person’s dog attacks you and causes injury, pain, and suffering in Georgia?

I met with Harry Brown personally and he sat with me for 20 minutes at our initial consultation to explain everything. He even called after my surgery to see how I was doing. I met with him several more times after that and was kept informed about my case throughout. I highly recommend Harry Brown as an attorney.

STEVEN SWEENY, SAVANNAH

Who is liable for my injuries?

In the state of Georgia, the law views dogs as harmless and hold dog owners legally responsible for people’s safety around their pets.

A person attacked and injured by a dog in some way should be able to receive compensation for their injuries and other damages from the dog owner.

Knowledge of the Dog’s Viciousness

In cases of dog bites and other animal-related injuries, Georgia is considered to be a negligence state. This means that the individual who has experienced an injury due to a bite or attack by a dog has to prove that the dog owner knew that their pet was “vicious” or “dangerous” to prove liability.

There are several types of evidence that might be relevant in proving that the owner knew their dog was potentially aggressive, but the most adequate is proof of prior bites as this obviously constitutes sufficient information to alert the owner of the dog’s tendency to be vicious towards others.

Dog training and warning signs are also sufficient evidence to provide knowledge that the dog is potentially dangerous. You can offer the fact that the owner knows that their dog undergoes guard or attack dog training or that they post warning signs such as “Beware of Dog” or “Dog Bites” as evidence.

Once the knowledge of the dog’s aggression has been proven, the victim must further show that the owner acted negligently and allowed the dog to roam without any restraint.

Violation of Leash Ordinance

Some counties in Georgia have leash laws which forbid dogs from roaming around without being on leashes. Cases wherein the dog bites somebody while running loose will be much easier to prove your case against the dog owner.

Courts will often deem the violation of leash laws to be enough to determine that the owner was negligent or irresponsible as they allowed an aggressive dog to injure another individual.

If you have either been attacked by a dog or own a dog that attacked someone, consider talking to an experienced Dog Bite injury attorney from The Brown Firm for any legal advice and find out how local laws apply in your situation and how best to proceed.

Contact our experienced dog bite attorneys at (912) 324-2592 for a Free Consultation to discuss the nature of your case or click the link below.