Dog Bites: Meddling

You don’t want to cause trouble. Maybe you’re out for your morning jog, or walking to the store, or even just out getting the morning paper or afternoon mail. You notice a dog is wandering the neighborhood, and you just assume that one of the neighbors’ dogs is running loose. You don’t want your neighbors to be angry at you, so you ignore it. It’s not a big deal, you tell yourself. Even when the dog starts acting strangely, barking or growling, you push the thought from your head and go back inside.

Society has trained us to just leave these things alone. Too many friends and family would accuse us of meddling if we were to call the cops or animal control for every dog we see roaming around, even if the dog is behaving strangely. These people should pay more attention to the news.

A story out of San Mateo, California illustrates just how important it is for people to be diligent about reporting strange behavior from animals. On January 22nd, witnesses noted two pit bulls acting oddly. They didn’t report anything, not until the pit bulls started chasing people down the street. By the time authorities arrived, one of the pit bulls bit a woman savagely. When the cops showed up, the animals responded by attacking the police car, biting and snapping at the windows and the door handles.

People should be on the lookout for signs of aggression in dogs, including:

• Growling and barking
• Attempting to obstruct a path or sidewalk
• Stopping eating when a person gets remotely near
• Tail and/or ears held at attention

If you see any behavior that strikes you as odd, or even if you see a strange animal wandering your neighborhood, don’t hesitate to contact the proper authorities. Many owners do a terrible job keeping track of their animals, and this can be especially true regarding owners of dangerous breeds.

If you or a loved one has been bitten by a dog, it is vital that you contact an attorney. Just because this one dangerous animal might have been seized from the owner doesn’t mean that everything is okay. Owners of one aggressive dog often have many others who were raised the same way, and the only way to get the owner’s attention is to find an attorney who knows the right steps to take to help ensure community safety.