What to Do When Your Dog Bites

Your cute and cuddly dog might not be all that cute around other people. Sometimes, your dog could be triggered to act in a way that is not typical of their behavior. Unfortunately, your dog could bite someone else, especially if that person’s actions are making the dog feel fear or makes it feel as though the dog or you will be attacked. 

Here are a few steps to take if your dog bites someone so that you and your dog are protected. Remember though, the best offense is a good defense. It’s always best to learn how to prevent dog bites in the first place then how to deal with the aftermath.

Stay Calm

Whether you see your dog bite someone else or you’re told about the incident, you need to stay as calm as possible. This is an important component of how to act after a dog bite so that you can rationally think about how the victim should be treated and what to do with your dog in order to protect both parties. 

According to one New York personal injury attorney, you can be sued if your dog escapes and attacks someone, if your dog isn’t restrained, and if your dog attacks someone on your property, even if you weren’t aware there was any risk they would do so. You can go here to learn more about how to act after a dog bite attack in Long Island.

When you’re walking your dog, there could be situations that arise that cause your dog to become anxious. Try to pay attention to a few signs that your dog needs to leave the area:

• The hair on his back raising
• Growling or snarling
• Excessive barking and pulling on the leash

If you notice any of these signs, then you need to try to steer your dog away from the area as soon as possible. In the event that your dog does bite someone, you need to remove the dog, controlling the animal before attending to the care of the victim. If the injury is severe, then you should contact 911 or your local emergency number so that the person can be transported to a nearby hospital or treatment center. 

After a dog bite occurs, you should also call your local animal control shelter. If your dog is up-to-date on vaccinations and doesn’t have a history of aggressive behavior, then you likely won’t have to surrender your dog. However, someone might need to examine your pet to ensure that it’s healthy so that there isn’t a spread of rabies or other diseases. 

Keep in mind that you need to present any records of vaccines and veterinary treatments to the animal shelter or the court if it becomes necessary. You should always keep your dog’s records together in case you need to show them in an emergency.

Legal Action

Sometimes, there are people who are understanding of situations involving dogs. They know that accidents happen and that dogs can sometimes become overwhelmed or excited and bite. These are the people you usually don’t have to worry about if your dog bites someone unless the bite is serious. 

There are other groups of people who want to take a dog bite straight to court. They could try to get as much money as possible from you or your insurance company to cover medical treatments and any pain and suffering they endured due to the incident. If you suspect that the person could take the matter to court, then you need to be prepared by contacting an attorney right away who represents defendants in dog bite cases. 

Give your attorney all of the information that you have about your pet and any pictures that you took after the biting incident. You should also try to get witness statements from those who saw what happened. 

Try not to get too involved with the victim so that the person doesn’t try to turn your words against you. However, you want to be as polite as possible if you do interact with the person. If possible, take your dog to obedience classes before going to court to show that you’re trying to correct their behavior.