Here’s an interesting article the Orange County Register printed on a dog bite attack:
ALISO VIEJO – Guinevere Bates-Hewitt didn’t feel the dog bite that took off the top chunk of her ear – the 10-year-old Aliso Viejo resident, who was visiting a neighbor, only remembers screaming, turning her face away from the Rhodesian Ridgeback, then seeing her ear on the floor.
“It was just a tug, and I just went into shock,” she said.
Guinevere Bates-Hewitt shows where she lost part of her ear in a dog attack in their Aliso Viejo neighborhood. Her stepfather Aaron Broering was also attacked in a seperate incident with another neighborhood dog.
Dog bites
Annually, about 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those, 20 percent require medical attention. Most at risk are children ages 5-9, adult men and families with two or more dogs in the home. Here’s how to prevent dog bites:
•Learn what breed is the best fit for the household, and spend time with a dog before buying or adopting it.
•Properly socialize and train dogs, avoid playing aggressive games with them such as wrestling, and spay/neuter dogs to reduce aggressive tendencies.
•Children should stay still when approached by an unfamiliar dog. If knocked down, children should roll into a ball and lie still. Also, avoid direct eye contact with dogs; don’t disturb dogs that are sleeping, eating or caring for puppies; and allow dogs to see and sniff you before petting them.
State law prevents legislation that targets specific breeds of dogs, except for spay and neuter requirements. Cypress considered ordering pit bull owners to spay and neuter their dogs to help with aggression and address overpopulation, then opted instead in January to strengthen animal-control laws. At the time, some council members said a spay/neuter mandate would punish responsible pet owners.
San Bernardino County passed a spay and neuter requirement for the breed last year after several deadly pit bull attacks.
Ryan Drabek of Orange County Animal Care said while legislation options are limited, his group focuses on teaching pet owners about leash laws, properly securing their pets and keeping animals from being a nuisance to neighbors.
“Public education is key,” he said.
Dogs of any breed and their owners can benefit from obedience classes, he added.
“Those types of classes create such an incredible bond between owner and animal,” he said.
When a pet does cause problems, Drabek said neighbors should report even minor events to help prevent more serious incidents. Orange County Animal Care recorded 2,324 bites in 2010.
“Each and every incident should be reported to the local animal control agency for follow up,” he said.
•••
Before the first dog attack, Guinevere’s family had considered adopting a pit bull puppy. After her daughter was attacked, though, Bates-Broering said she didn’t want to take any chances.
“They can be very, very sweet dogs. I just think the people who own them need to understand they could potentially be dangerous, especially for their children,” she said.
Requiring pet owners to put in training time with their dogs and insure against attacks could weed out a careless element, Bates-Broering said.
“Then the people that really want the dogs are going to be responsible for them,” she said.
Before the first dog attack, Guinevere’s family had considered adopting a pit bull puppy. After her daughter was attacked, though, Bates-Broering said she didn’t want to take any chances.
“They can be very, very sweet dogs. I just think the people who own them need to understand they could potentially be dangerous, especially for their children,” she said.
Requiring pet owners to put in training time with their dogs and insure against attacks could weed out a careless element, Bates-Broering said.
“Then the people that really want the dogs are going to be responsible for them,” she said.
