Pet owners are responsible for the actions of their pets, which is why it’s important to train animals before taking them out in public and to always use a leash. Even a seemingly harmless dog bite can have severe consequences, especially if the dog has rabies.

A family in College Station is currently dealing with the unfortunate ramifications of a pet owner’s irresponsibility. On Tuesday, April 3, their young boy was attacked by a large brown dog while walking down the street. The dog scratched and bit the child repeatedly before running away. Witnesses saw two men in a red car retrieve the dog and drive away.

The College Station police department and Animal Control are currently attempting to find the dog in order to rule out rabies, but situation will remain difficult and complicated until the owners of the dog come forward.

Animal bites can be extremely stressful situations, especially until rabies is ruled out. If you or someone you know has been bitten by a dog, you deserve fair representation in court. Contact the McMinn Law Firm today.

Currently, there are about 74.8 million dogs in the USA.  The center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are roughly 1,000 dog attacks per day.  Dog bites are very serious and often require emergency medical care and some even result in death.  Children are the most frequent victims of dog attacks and are usually the most devastating because the injuries typically occur to their face and neck regions.  Dog bites are the fifth most frequent cause of visits to the emergency room for children.

Texas is currently one of the deadliest states when it comes to dog bites.  In 2007, Texas had more fatalities resulting from dog bites than any other state.  According to the Center for Disease Control, the ten most deadly dogs are:

1. Pit Bulls
2. Rottweilers
3. German Shepherds
4. Huskies
5. Alaskan Malamutes
6. Doberman Pinschers
7. Chow Chows
8. Great Danes
9. Saint Bernards
10. Akitas

All dogs can be agitated and provoked to bite, but most will not maim or kill their victims.  If a Pit Bill or Rottweiler bites, often someone is maim or killed.  Therefore, the dogs listed above must be handled with special precautions.

More than 50 percent of dog bites occur on the dog owner’s property and they are typically responsible for the resulting injuries.  Usually, a dog owner will be responsible for a dog bite when:

• Dog owner knew the dog had previously bitten someone or knew the dog had the dangerous propensity to bite a person;
• Dog owner was in violation of the local leash law or animal control law
• Dog owner intentionally allowed the dog to bite; or
• Dog owner was negligent in handling the dog

If you have suffered a dog bite, the most important thing you can do is seek immediate medical attention.  If the bite is serious, you should go to the closest emergency room or clinic and have the wound examined by a professional.  Also, it is very important that you locate the owner of the dog.  In most situations, the owner of the dog will be responsible for you injuries and pain and suffering.  Last, make sure you contact animal control or the police.  One of these agencies will typically make a report of the incident and obtain all the information from the parties involved.

Finally, in order to fully protect your rights, contact an experienced personal injury attorney.  Most personal injury attorneys take dog bite cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you do not pay them unless you recover on your claim.