San Diego, CA dog bite stats

[Rene Allegrini]

Over 2000 Dog Bites in San Diego County Last Year

Editor: Randy Walton & Scott Barber

Firm: Walton Barber LLP

January 31, 2008

By Walton Barber, LLP

Category: Serious Personal Injury

Walton Barber recently represented an elderly woman who was attacked by two bulldogs while walking in her condominium complex. It was a terrible scene. She was knocked down by the dogs, who were able to bite deep into her arms, breaking one of them, before neighbors were able to come to her rescue.

In that case, the local San Diego County Department of Animal Control got involved, and after an investigation adjudicated the dogs as "dangerous." This was a total shock to the owners, who, like the ownes in all our dog bite cases, testified that their dogs were not vicious, and had never exhibited any behavior before the attack that we indicate the dogs would commit such a vicious offense.

The "dangerous" label imposed by the County place a number of restrictions on the owners if they wanted to keep the animals, including a requirement that the dogs are muzzled at all times when taken off the property. In this recent case, the owners felt the risk was too high and chose to have the dogs euthanized. It was a sad story all around.

According to the statistics there are a lot of irresponsible dog owners in San Diego County. According to the Animal Control there were 2,277 dog bites last year, but the actual numbers could be double that as most bites occur on people who know the dog's owner personally and don't file a report. Despite the large number of bites, only 17 were euthanized because of dangerous behavior.

The Animal Control offers the following dog safety tips:

* Do not approach or play with an unfamiliar dog.

* Do not run from a dog or scream. Remain motionless.

* If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball, lie still and cover head and face.

* Do not disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating or caring for puppies.

Disregard stereotypes about dangerous breeds; the county's dangerous dogs list include Chihuahuas and Golden Retrievers