Experts say not to trust dogs with a violent history

Many people are appalled and surprised when their dogs bite, saying they’ve never done anything like that before. They can’t believe their pets would attack other people.

The Statistics

While that may be true for that particular dog, the statistics show that bites are actually very common. Around 800,000 people wind up going to a physician annually for treatment after getting bitten. That doesn’t even count bites that aren’t reported or minor incidents.

Experts warn that it’s very dangerous to trust a dog after this happens. Many owners want to. They don’t want to have the pet euthanized or use other options, like having the teeth removed. Again, they claim the dog has never done such a thing before and they’d rather just think that it won’t happen again.

Does It Work?

This mentality makes sense. They love the pet. They may be able to identify reasons for the bite. Perhaps a child ran up to the dog quickly or while it was eating. It’s not as if the animal just randomly attacked. They’re confident that they can keep it from happening again.

That may work. A second bite may never happen. But it’s important to understand the risks. The dog has shown that it will bite and can be dangerous to the public. Are others being put at risk if the owner does nothing? If there is a second attack, does all of the blame then fall on the owner for being negligent the first time around?

Your Rights

If you are bitten, as 800,000 people are every year, you may have high medical bills and many other costs. Be sure you know your rights.

Source: Petful, “Can You Trust a Dog Who Has Bitten?,” C.D. Watson, accessed Nov. 17, 2017