Michigan Child Dog Bite Injuries – Protect Your Child February 16, 2010
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 68 million dogs are kept as pets in the United States. More than one million dog bites are reported each year. And there are estimates that an equal number of dog bites (one million) go unreported each year. Of the one million or so dog bite reported each year, about 60% involve an injury to a child. Approximately 70% of dog bite wounds are inflicted on the child’s face. Children ages 5 to 9 have the highest dog-bite-related injuries.
If you plan to have young children and a dog, it is best to adopt the dog while it is young and introduce it to the children during the toddler age. However, dogs need to be introduced to children of all ages. Young toddlers will act differently around the dog than a 10-year-old child will. Children should be involved with the training sessions of the dog. This allows the dog to experience the child as an authoritative figure, thereby decreasing the chances that the dog will bite the child. Children should be involved in other caretaking activities, like feeding, grooming, and bathing the dog.
Parents should never leave young children alone with a dog, particularly if the dog has limited experience with that child. You can teach children to recognize fearful or aggressive behavior in a dog so they can take steps to avoid or minimize the risk of a bite. And finially, parents should set good examples of how to treat the dog. Children tend to emulate their parents’ behavior, which would include the parents’ interaction with the dog.
Parents of children do have legal rights. If your child suffers injuries due to a dog bite and attack, you should contact our office immediately to discuss your case. Call us now at (800) 606-1717 to speak with one of our experienced Michigan dog bite attorneys.
You should also request our FREE BOOK, “Little Kids, Big Accidents,” which is a parent’s guide to child injury cases in Michigan. You can request it at http://www.Buckfirelaw.com We will send the book immediately to you.
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