Dog Bites Affect 4.4 Million Americans Yearly |
Posted: September 25, 2014 |
If you got bitten by a dog in the U.S. last year, you are in good company. Some 4.4 million unlucky individuals are bit by a dog each year. Of those, about 1/5th must seek medical care. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which keeps track of the figures, reported that 885,000 people were treated for dog bites last year. According to the CDC, dog bites affect 1.5 percent of the U.S. population each year. The American Humane Society reported that dog bite claims for a single leading home insurer cost $510 million over the last five years.
Children
Children ages 5 to 9 years are considered at the highest risk for dog bites. Half of all dog bites occur among children under 12. Children are also more likely to need medical care after a bite. Many bites are minor and result from a childish action such as pulling a tail or teasing a dog. However, there are cases in which the dog's owner hasn't done enough to secure their dog. In one case, a child went into her fenced backyard and was bitten by a neighbor's unleashed dog. The animal had crossed over the fence to get to her. She was treated for minor injuries. A few months later, the dog repeated the behavior. It again climbed a fence and bit the same child. Needless to say, the child was traumatized and will need therapy to recover from the fear the incidents have engendered.
Senior Citizens
Dog bites can be fatal to senior citizens. About 20 percent of those who die from dog bites are over 70 years old. Yet seniors are generally only 10 percent of those bitten each year.
Gender Bias
Men are more likely to be bit than women. This may be because dogs feel more threatened by male behavior, but it is generally unfair to blame the dog's behavior on the bite victim. In one case, witnesses reported that a 16-year-old boy was enjoying time in the park when an acquaintance's dog sniffed him and walked away. A few minutes later, the dog returned and bit the teen four times on the leg and back. He sustained injuries that were so bad that he had to be treated at a local hospital. He endured months of physical therapy, spending his days on crutches while deep wounds healed. Fortunately, according to the teen's family, they had health insurance to cover the incident. If not, his mother says, the trauma would have been compounded by financial constraints on his care.
Owner Responsibility
Owners need to realize that their dog's behavior is their moral and legal responsibility. If owners want to avoid liability issues, they should register their dogs, keep shots up to date, and seek behavior classes especially for any dog that appears aggressive. The bottom line is that dog owners need to do more to control their dogs. It is a simple matter to keep the dog leashed or in a secure fence. If a dog bites, the owner must share the blame.
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