Whether a pet is well-trained or not, an attack from them can cause significant physical and emotional damage to a person. Dog bites make up the overwhelming majority of animal attacks, with over 4.5 million occurring in the United States each year.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), of those 4.5 million dog bites, approximately 800,000 require medical care and lead to permanent scars. Dog attacks are a frightening experience. After this type of attack, you or a loved one might be traumatized and severely injured.
More than 81% of dog bites result in minor injuries that don’t require medical attention. If a bite is considered to be severe, then it could require stitches, surgery, antibiotics to prevent an infection, or in the most extreme cases, an amputation. For children in particular, injuries resulting from a dog bite can be fatal.
Other domestic animal attacks that occur include bites or scratches from a cat or reptile, as well as injuries caused by an exotic animal.
Regardless of when or how you were attacked by a dog or animal owned by another individual, it’s important to seek medical assistance, document the incident and contact our animal attacks attorney near Joliet, Illinois, to decide how you want to proceed.
Minimizing Your Risks
As a pet owner, there are several steps you can take to reduce the risk of your pet attacking another individual. If you’re a dog or cat owner, here are just a few measures you can take to avoid an attack:
- Spend time with your pet to learn their tendencies
- That includes researching the breed(s) of your pet and taking their common personality traits into account.
- Getting them spayed or neutered
- Socialize your pet with other pets and humans.
- Avoiding rough play, especially between another individual and your pet
- Keeping your pet up-to-date on all vaccinations
- Don’t leave small children or babies unattended around your pet
For dog owners, there are a few other precautionary measures you can take outside of your home that can decrease the chances of your pet attacking someone:
- Completing obedience training classes with your dog. It’s also important for you to follow through with the lessons you and your dog have learned in these courses.
- Fence your yard in to avoid unwanted or unsupervised interactions between your dog and humans, cats or other dogs.
For those who do not own a pet and are looking to protect themselves from possibly being attacked, here are a few things you can do:
- Avoiding strange dogs and cats
- Don’t approach an animal while it is eating, sleeping or caring for their young
- Allow a dog or cat to see and smell you before petting. It’s also important to remain calm as this occurs.
- Never leave the animal alone with children
- If you are attacked, you need to seek medical attention first, and then try to determine the pet’s owner.
In addition to the tips listed above, if you’re facing a dog that is acting aggressive or attempting to attack you, here’s what you should also do.
- Don’t run, stare a dog in the eye or be aggressive
- Remain still when a dog attacks
- There are several steps you should take if a dog knocks you down during an attack. Your knees, face and arms need to be protected. Curl yourself into a ball to protect your face, thighs, chest and throat.
- Protect your fingers by making a fist with both hands and holding them close to your body.
- Again, seek medical attention as soon as the attack stops or you’re able to get away. Once you’re treated for your injuries, then you should attempt to locate the owners of the dog(s).
- For a loose dog or animal without an owner on site, animal control should be called to protect the pet and others from being harmed.
The Animal Attack Lawyers of Mokena and Joliet
If you’re in need of a lawyer who has represented clients of an animal attack in Mokena, Joliet, New Lenox, Lockport or Plainfield, then contact Block, Klukas, Manzella & Shell, P.C., for help today. Whether you’ve faced a bite, scratch or something more serious from a dog attack, our team can help you decide whether or not you should move forward with your case.
Schedule your free consultation with our team by calling us today.