Being bitten by a dog is often a traumatic experience, both physically and emotionally. It’s essential to seek medical attention to minimize the impact of the injury and prevent infection. Still, you need to consider other factors like pursuing financial compensation from the dog’s owner and taking measures to prevent another incident.
Here’s what you need to do to move forward.
1. Hold the dog’s owner legally responsible
This can’t be stated enough: pursue legal action against the owner of the dog who bit you. With limited exceptions that are true flukes and random occurrences, most dog bites are the result of preventable situations caused by owner negligence.
It’s unfortunate, but many dog owners don’t train their dogs and let them run wild from day one. These dogs can develop a sense of entitlement and ownership over everything they encounter, including other people’s properties and public spaces. When dogs don’t have structure, they don’t feel safe and can end up attacking people for no apparent reason.
In other situations, owners know their dogs are dangerous and have a history of attacks, but they choose to ignore the danger. They refuse to muzzle their dogs in public, take them to dog parks, and in the end, people and animals get hurt. If you’ve been bitten by a dog, there’s a good chance that you aren’t the first victim and you won’t be the last – unless you take legal action. It will force the owner to pay for your medical expenses, and if the dog is truly dangerous, the court will order it to be put down so it can’t hurt anyone else.
2. Start carrying protection
You can’t predict how animals will behave, and that’s why you need to carry some kind of protection with you at all times, whether it’s pepper spray or a gun. If you’re an animal lover, it seems harsh to think about hurting a dog, but if you’re ever attacked again, you’ll be glad to have the ability to defend yourself.
Pepper spray is highly effective against dogs, and it will give you enough time to remove yourself from the situation. From there, you can report the incident to police or call the dog’s owner if you know who they are. It’s uncomfortable for the dog, but it won’t cause any long-term harm. Protecting yourself should be a priority.
If you don’t like the idea of using pepper spray or carrying a gun, there are alternative methods that use harsh sound to scare dogs away, and some tools are ultrasonic.
- Learn about dog behavior
Not every wagging tail is a sign of happiness or excitement. Sometimes dogs wag their tail when they’re feeling stressed, anxious, or on high alert. It’s important to be able to discern other signs to know if the dog is a threat.
For instance, what are the dog’s ears doing? Are they tilting their head? Are they growling? Are they being submissive? The overall body of a dog will tell you plenty. These are common signs of an impending attack:
- Growling, snarling, or snapping
- A high, stiffly wagging tail
- Raised hackles
- A stiff body
- Bared teeth
- An intense stare
- Avoidant behavior or hiding
Some dogs attack out of fear, so just because a dog runs and hides or appears to be trying to avoid you doesn’t mean it won’t attack. In many cases, this is exactly the type of behavior that leads to a bite.
Not all dogs attack with warning. Some dogs quietly pause for a few seconds and stare before attacking, and others just come rushing toward their target barking the whole time. Others seem totally fine and then appear to snap. However, there are subtle cues that can give you insight into what a dog is feeling that can give you a little warning about a potential attack.
4. Remove yourself from the area
If you’re confronted by a strange dog and aren’t sure if it’s friendly, the best thing you can do is remove yourself from the area, especially if you have your own dogs with you. Just pick them up if possible and walk away quietly. Disengage slowly and calmly, avoid sudden movements, and don’t allow yourself to feel fear.
Be proactive
Preventing dog bites is easier when you understand dog behavior, carry protection, and hold dog owners accountable. You can’t control other people’s choices, but you can take proactive measures to avoid getting hurt.