what to do after a dog bites you

Suffering a domestic dog bite can be a very lamentable experience. It can be painful and upsetting, especially considering we oft think of dogs every bit friendly, loyal pets. It may upshot in an uncomfortable state of affairs for both the victim and the family of the dog responsible.

Call back, dogs are animals, and similar all animals, they take the potential to bite us. About 4.7 1000000 Americansget bitten past dogs each yr, and of those, i in five dog bites results in injuries that require medical attention. Most of the fourth dimension, people get bitten past dogs they know.

If you, your child or your dog become bitten by someone else'south dog, there are several steps yous should follow, depending on the situation and the severity of the domestic dog bite.

Near Dog Bites

With millions of Americans bitten past dogs each year, information technology may not come as a surprise that children are often the victims. Of the total dog bite-related fatality victims, nearly 46% were nether age 16. In add-on to children, older adults and postal workers are other frequent victims of dog bites.

In 2020, almost 800,000 people were treated for non-fatal canis familiaris-related injuries in the emergency room. In 2020, insurance companies in the U.Southward. paid approximately $854 million in domestic dog bite claims.

Of course, not all canis familiaris bites are the same. Dog bites and the resulting injuries tin vary widely in seriousness. The following are the dissimilar dog bite classifications:

• Level 1: This is a snap, also referred to as a alert seize with teeth or air bite. In that location is no pare contact.
• Level 2: This is a bite that occurs when there is skin contact, simply the bite does not pause the pare.
• Level 3: This is a bite that results in a maximum of 4 puncture holes in the skin that are shallower than the length of the dog'southward tooth.
• Level 4: This is a seize with teeth that results in a maximum of iv puncture holes in the skin that are deeper than the length of the domestic dog'due south tooth. The punctures may also have visible gashes or tears. The characteristics of this type of bite indicate the domestic dog latched onto the pare and shook its head dorsum and forth.
• Level v: This level refers to multiple bites that contain deep puncture wounds.
• Level 6: This is a bite or multiple bites that event in consumed flesh or death.

Understanding these classifications tin help yous understand the seriousness of your wounds if yous feel a dog seize with teeth. It can also assist you empathize the dog's behavior and what caused him to bite.

Dangerous Dog Statute

According to the dangerous domestic dog statute in Pennsylvania, a canis familiaris may be considered dangerous in the following circumstances:

• The dog attacks a person without provocation.
• The domestic dog is used during the commission of a crime.
• While abroad from the owner's holding, the dog inflicts severe injury or has killed a domestic animal without provocation.
• The dog inflicts a severe injury on someone without provocation. Severe injury is defined as any physical injury that causes cleaved basic or disfiguring lacerations that crave cosmetic surgery or multiple sutures.

A dangerous domestic dog will also have a history of attacking domestic animals or people without provocation or a propensity to set on domestic animals or people without provocation.

Pennsylvania'southward Confinement Statute

You are also required to confine your dog to your property and restrain your domestic dog with a chain, collar or another device that prevents it from straying.

If you are a domestic dog bite victim and the possessor violated the confinement statute, you may exist able to recover bounty. In Pennsylvania, dog bites are taken very seriously and can take severe consequences for both the dog and the possessor. Dangerous dogs tin be confiscated if they are not kept in an enclosure or properly registered, and the owner may be found guilty of a first-degree misdemeanor.

Precautions After a Dog Bite Occurs

At that place are several scenarios in which a canis familiaris bite might take place. If someone else's domestic dog bites yous, your kid or your canis familiaris, consider the circumstances. Exercise you know who owns the dog? Is information technology a puppy? Is the dog exhibiting strange or aggressive behavior?

If you know who owns the domestic dog and the owner is present, commutation names and contact information. Obtain information from whatsoever witnesses, likewise. Ask the owner if he or she can prove proof that the dog has an up-to-date rabies vaccination. If you do not know who owns the domestic dog, you may demand to get a rabies vaccination, which could toll thousands of dollars.

What to Exercise After a Puppy Bites Yous

If a puppy bit you, stay at-home and try not to react. A puppy is yet a baby, and information technology may seize with teeth because information technology is teething, or trying to establish its dominance. A bite from a puppy is not probable to be the result of aggression.

Though it will probably exist a minor dog seize with teeth, a puppy seize with teeth might still injure, and it may break the skin as well. If the seize with teeth results in a superficial wound, follow the steps outlined below to care for information technology.

What to Do After an Unknown Dog Bites Yous

If you do non know the dog — or the owner of the dog — who is responsible for the bite, you will want to human action to protect yourself from any possible disease or rabies the dog might take. Avert trying to concur or take hold of the dog on your own. Instead, call 911 right away. Then they or you can contact animal control. You want to make clean the injured area and so yous can avoid transmitting bacteria that could cause an infection, and get proper medical attention and a rabies vaccination right abroad.

What If Your Dog Bites You?

If your dog bites you or a fellow member of your household, it may exist an upsetting feel, simply it is best to try to remain calm. While y'all exercise non have to worry nigh contacting the constabulary or taking downwards someone else's data in this situation, you lot should nevertheless think almost the circumstances around the bite.

Was it accidental? Was the dog playing? Or was he fighting with another dog and yous got in the fashion? In this situation, practice not discipline the dog after the bite occurs. The dog will not understand the connectedness between the biting and the subsequent discipline.

Additionally, there might exist medical or behavioral reasons for the bite. Your domestic dog may exist concealing pain or injury, and perhaps you got too shut and the dog reacted past nipping at you lot. If y'all suspect that could be the example, make an appointment with your veterinary.

If your domestic dog fleck you because you got as well shut to something valuable to him, like his favorite napping spot, toy or food bowl during mealtime, information technology is possible the dog is starting to prove signs of aggression. You may need to work with your dog to try to eliminate aggressive behaviors, and information technology might require enlisting the help of a professional person dog trainer.

Seek Medical Attention for a Dog Bite

When a dog bites someone, his front teeth grab and compress the tissue, while the smaller teeth tear the skin. Not all dog bites are the aforementioned, and the steps you take subsequently a canis familiaris seize with teeth will differ depending on the severity of the bite and the type of injury that resulted.

Regardless of how astringent the injury is, managing the dog seize with teeth as soon as possible is crucial. If the bite requires medical treatment, you will desire to visit your doctor within eight hours of the incident. The biggest concern afterward a dog bite occurs is the risk of infection. Well-nigh one-half of dog bites introduce leaner.

An unvaccinated dog could carry and transmit rabies to a bite victim. You volition want to treat the wound immediately — seeking medical help if necessary — to avoid the wound becoming infected. If yous have diabetes or if your immune system is compromised, you lot have a greater risk of getting an infection.

If y'all suffered a small-scale dog bite and the resulting injury is a superficial wound, like a scrape or scratch, clean and disinfect the injured area, then utilize a topical antibiotic to preclude infection and cover information technology with a bandage.

For a deeper gash or puncture wound, let the wound to bleed for five minutes. The bleeding will help clean some bacteria out of the wound. So, apply direct pressure to the wound with a clean towel. When the haemorrhage stops, rinse the wound with h2o and clean information technology with a balmy lather. If y'all accept a puncture wound, avoid disinfecting with hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol, and avert bandaging the wound likewise. Merely clean the injury and continue it elevated.

If applying pressure does non terminate the bleeding, telephone call 911. If the injury is bleeding excessively, or if it is on your neck or head, practise not wait — call for help correct abroad.

See a doctor if:

• An unfamiliar canis familiaris flake y'all.
• The puncture wound appears deep.
• The wound volition not stop bleeding.
• The injury looks infected, pregnant information technology has swelling, redness or pus.

If y'all visit your dr., be prepared for questions. A dr. will ask you about your health and any conditions you accept to decide if you are at greater gamble of developing an infection. He or she may too want to know some details nigh the dog bite. Practice you know the dog'due south possessor? Is the creature up to date on its vaccinations, especially its rabies vaccination? What were the circumstances surrounding the bite? Did you somehow provoke the canis familiaris?

Your doctor will be able to do a thorough cleaning of the injured surface area and remove whatsoever debris, dirt, dead tissue and leaner. He or she will also take a closer look at the bite and determine if the puncture damaged whatever tendons, muscles, nerves or bone.

Depending on the location and severity of the bite, there are dissimilar ways to proceed in terms of closing the wound. Oftentimes, doctors choose to go out bite wounds open. If the wound is on your face, or if it is likely to cause extremely noticeable scars, your doctor may suture it to help reduce scarring. Deep or severe puncture wounds may warrant plastic surgery.

1 of the about of import tips for dog bite management is to take all appropriate measures to forestall infection. If you got a seize with teeth from an unknown domestic dog or a dog that tested positive for rabies, yous will need a rabies vaccination. Y'all may also crave a tetanus shot and antibiotics to prevent an infection.

How to Report a Canis familiaris Bite

Subsequently you receive proper medical treatment for the dog seize with teeth, it is of import to take additional activeness to assistance ensure the same dog does non bite another person. Fifty-fifty if your injury was minor, file a report with the proper local authorities. Contact your local animal control, every bit well as the police, to notify them of the incident.

These steps will brand certain there is documentation of the incident, and information technology will ensure the possessor takes the necessary steps to prevent his or her dog from biting over again in the future. Pennsylvania canis familiaris owners may face up some restrictions if the government deem their domestic dog as unsafe.

Next, endeavour to gather more information about the dog. Obtain a copy of the dog's license information. Seek out documentation regarding other potential incidents. Does the canis familiaris have a history of attacking or biting humans or other animals? Have local authorities designated the domestic dog as dangerous?

Legal Action Later a Domestic dog Bite

Laws surrounding domestic dog bites vary depending on where you live. You lot will want to contact an attorney to help you navigate the legal complexities surrounding a dog seize with teeth incident. A personal injury lawyer volition have your best interest in this situation.

At this point, yous will also want to thoroughly certificate your experience. Take photographs of your injury. Consult your dr. if you need guidance on the safest fashion to do and so, especially if you take to pull dorsum bandages. Take photos of all your wounds and the location where the bite occurred. If whatever habiliment became torn or bloodstained during the incident, photo it also.

Brainstorm taking notes well-nigh your personal experience. Record what happened when the seize with teeth occurred, and continue to record everything that happened following the bite, including details nearly your injuries, whatsoever medical treatment and your full general thoughts and feelings in the days and weeks following the incident.

If yous are dealing with a domestic dog bite from your dog, follow the aforementioned steps outlined in a higher place. Exist sure to gather equally much information most the incident equally possible, peculiarly from witnesses. Again, if you lot written report the incident, it may help preclude the same dog from attacking or biting other dogs and humans in the time to come.

Preventing a Dog Bite

Getting bitten by a dog is, at least, an upsetting and painful experience, and at worst, a traumatic experience that results in serious injury or even death. Past modifying your behavior, yous may be able to prevent dog bites. Here are some actions you tin take to avoid beingness bitten past a dog:

• If you are getting a new dog, effort to adopt one with a good temperament. You will want to pick a dog who is friendly and comfy with y'all and other members of your household.
• If you encounter a strange dog, keep your distance. Too, never leave your child alone with an unknown or unfamiliar domestic dog.
• If you lot decide to arroyo a dog, especially if information technology is ane you lot do not know, do so slowly, or let the dog arroyo yous when he is fix.
• Avoid interfering with a dog who is eating or feeding its puppies.
• If a dog does become ambitious, remain calm. Practise not panic. Move slowly, avoiding eye contact with the dog.

If yous always meet a dog you recall may be dangerous, practice not hesitate to file a report. For example, if a dog chases you, or exhibits behavior that seems aggressive or threatening, report the incident. Fifty-fifty if the domestic dog does not bite you, it could be worth notifying the regime about a dog that has the potential to attack or bite someone. This action may pb to a domestic dog beingness designated "potentially dangerous," which could force the owner to take steps to foreclose his or her dog from causing harm to others.

Regardless, information technology is beneficial to take time to acquire the PA dog seize with teeth laws and the laws in your community. Contact your local government, whether it is a city or land clerk, animal command or your local police department. Request a copy of whatsoever ordinances nearly domestic dog bites, animal control or dangerous dogs.

If you, your child or any loved one encounters an aggressive dog and the worst happens, you can at least be sure yous have armed yourself with the noesis to have the advisable activity.

Contact KBG Injury Law to Schedule a Consultation

At KBG Injury Law, we are experts in Pennsylvania domestic dog bite constabulary. For more than iii decades, we accept represented clients from the central Pennsylvania region. Our reputation is built on the respect we show each of our clients. We can bring our expertise to your personal injury instance to negotiate a settlement on your behalf or try your case in court. Regardless of which path you lot choose to accept, our attorneys will piece of work to achieve the results you lot deserve.

If you or someone you honey needs aid understanding what legal activeness to accept afterward a dog-bite-related injury, have the adjacent step by contacting us at KBG Injury Constabulary or asking a complimentary consultation today.

The personal injury attorneys at KBG Injury Constabulary are all experienced litigators. Almost all of them represented insurance companies prior to condign advocates for injured people, which provides them with a unique perspective and insight into how these companies operate. They as well offering extensive courtroom feel if going to trial is the best legal alternative for the client.
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