Dog Bites

Dog Bites

It is a well known saying that a dog is a man’s best friend.  This in many cases is true as we spend much of our time tending to their every need – walking them, feeding them and grooming them. To many they are not only a source of friendship but a lifeline – for example to the blind, or even necessary in order to complete our work – for example a sheep farmer or for a Police dog handler.

A dog is one of the most common pets to own in the UK and the number is increasing, it is therefore no surprise that in recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of dog attacks across the UK.  We see more and more news items reporting shocking incidents involving dogs.  One of the most shocking being that of a news item reporting a woman being killed by her neighbour’s dog.  It was new items such as this that encouraged the government to put into place the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

The Dangerous Dogs Act was put into place in order to protect the public.  Of course, any dog can cause an amount of harm to a person if it decides to bite.  However, there are four types of dogs named in the act which there is a ban on owning within the UK – these are the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Braziliero. These dogs are classified by type, not breed, which means that an animal can also be included within these banned categories if they display the physical characteristics of the above types.

A dog bite or attack can be a horrific experience to suffer.  It is the dog handlers responsibility to protect the public from any such experience happening.  A failure to take the proper precautions can result in physical injuries, psychological injuries, or a loss of life in more extreme cases.

If you have been victim to a dog attack then it is important to identify the owner of the dog, take the contact details of anyone that witnessed the attack as they may be able to support your claim, and to report the incident to the Police.  It is also important to seek medical attention for your injuries as the medic will make a note of these in your medical records, and to take photographic evidence of your injuries.   It is also advisable to contact your local dog warden – their details are usually available through your local council.  A key fact can also be whether the dog has displayed this sort of behaviour previous to this incident; this information may be attained from the dog handler.