Dog Attacks And Children
Unfortunately, young children are the most common victims of dog attacks and because of their age an attack is more likely to be fatal if it involves a child. The natural curiosity of a child means that they are more likely to approach a dog without the hesitation and caution that an adult may display. Children are not aware of the sensibilities of a dog and may irate it unintentionally. The recent cases in the media of fatal incidents involving children and domestic dogs have drawn government attention towards the problem. A recent proposal by the Labour Government would mean that all dog owners in England and Wales would have to insure their pets against attacking someone. This proposal is in a bid to tackle the problem of dangerous breeds in the UK.
It is thought that more than 100 victims of dog bites are admitted to hospital each week. Latest figure show that 5,221 people were treated during 2008-09 after dog attacks in England, the total includes 1,250 children, including many babies and toddlers. The terrible cases of John-Paul Massey and Ellie Lawrenson just go to show the dangerous combination of irresponsible ownership and vicious breeds of dog. Both young children were mauled to death by pit-bull terriers.
It is thought that in both cases the animal that killed the children was in fact an illegal breed, prohibited by the Dangerous Dog Act. The 1991 Act bans four breeds- pit bulls, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro. However, animal charities say that the act ignores other breeds that can be just as dangerous and means that responsibility-raised dogs from banned breeds are unfairly targeted. There are growing concerns about the minority owners who are using their dogs for the wrong means, and it is this group of people that critics would like to see targeted. It is thought that some young people are using ownership of dangerous breeds of dogs as a sort of ‘badge of honour’ to boost their status within a gang situation, thinking that macho breeds of dog make them look tough and dangerous. Unfortunately, these owners are not focused on the welfare of the animal or being responsible owners.
It can be hard to anticipate animal behaviour and when a dog unexpectedly turns on someone it can be a difficult and traumatic situation to deal with. You would not be alone in thinking that a domestic dog is a loyal and harmless pet, but all dogs have the potential to be dangerous if put in a threatening situation. A lot of us see dogs as ‘man’s best friend’ and forget that they are actually a descendent of the wild and very dangerous wolf. Of course, some animals will never attack or hurt anyone, but if you do find yourself in a situation in which you become injured as a result of an animal attack that was not your fault then you may have a case to make a claim of compensation.
Claiming after an animal attack can be potentially quite complex as it can be hard to establish blame and usually a claim is only successful if the animal has shown previous dangerous or aggressive behaviour. If you believe you have a case to claim then contact Accident Consult for more information on your rights.
Tags: dog bites, dog owners, pit bulls |
