Animal attack statistics that SHOULD concern you

Know your breed

Planning your summer vacation yet? School will soon be out and the kids will be home.  What you don’t plan on could come back to bite you — an animal attack!

Whether you’re a “helicopter parent”, a “free-range parent” or somewhere in the middle of that spectrum,  a normal parent tries to protect their children from harm.

Naturally, our parental warning radar pops into high alert when the Center for Disease Control warns us that there are 4.5 million dog bites a year.  According to DogsBite.org , there were only 39  dog bite fatalities in the U.S. during 2017.  Of these fatalities, 15 were children under the age of 9.

One of the most chilling factors in the 2017 statistics is that NINE of these fatalities were infants killed by a family dog!  Even scarier, most of these dogs had no history of aggression. You can read the stories with citations at DogsBite.org.

While you are at least 30,000 times more likely to die in an auto accident than an animal attack, a serious dog bite leaves both emotional and physical scars.

Just reading the horrific true stories of the men, women, and children who died from a dog attack gave me the chills. It’s a bloody, brutal death, made even worse if a trusted family pet turns on you.

Imagine being one of more than 28,000 people in need of reconstructive surgery due to dog bites!  (2012 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2015)

As a safety precaution, teach your children some basic common sense tips!  Help prevent dog bite or other animal attacks.

( This  Washington Post article states that you’re almost as likely to be killed by a cow as a dog. Not surprisingly, farm workers are at the greatest risk for this category of fatalities.)

COMMON SENSE DOG BITE PREVENTION TIPS:

 

  • Basic rule of thumb: Never leave a baby unattended with a family dog. If your child is going to babysit, this is also the safest practice for sitters.READ up on your breed before you adopt. Not to start a “breed war”, but a dog breed with any history of aggression does not belong with small children!

  • Don’t get your family dog riled up around small children. In fact, aggressive play with your dog is never a good idea.

  • Ask your in-laws, friends, or relatives to also never leave your infant or small child alone with their dog.  One dog bite can change family relationships forever!

  • Teach your child to never approach a strange dog. This is a rule I broke when my daughter was young! Gulp!  I did always warned her to ask the dog owner first. Dogs are often kid-magnets, depending on the kid! Mine is a dog-lover.

  • Teach RESPECT for other people’s property.  If your teens are caught trespassing, that dog bite might serve them right.

  • If greeting a friend or family member’s dog with permission, approach gently and allow the dog to sniff you first. Don’t stare into the dog’s eyes!

  • Call Animal Control if a strange dog is running loose. Many towns have ordinances about loose dogs (for good reason). In our town, the police arrived when Animal Control was delayed. Why? Our neighbor’s pit bull attempted to escape her fenced yard and was hanging from her chain over the fence. We could NOT approach safely to help her. The police were able to quickly and safely help the dog.

  • Do stay calm, don’t run, and don’t make panicky moves or noises if a strange dog approaches.

  • Have YOU been injured in a dog-bite attack? You need the help of an experienced animal attack attorney with extensive knowledge of your local laws in Missouri. You can reach Attorney Nathan A. Steimel at 636-244-3737. You will not be charged any lawyer fees unless your case settles favorably!

  • For more information on your likelihood of animal attacks (Good news, mainly, but watch out for … BEES!) check out the article and info-graphic below.

https://www.cnn.com/2016/06/17/health/animal-attacks-statistics/index.html

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Dog Bite Statistic Infographic
Source: CanineJournal.com

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