Avoid A New Haven Dog Bite Injury By Being Socially Distant

When you’re out for a walk through the streets of New Haven, it’s always so nice to see others out walking their trusted K9 friends, but seemingly gentle dogs may pack a dangerous bite.  That’s why it is so important to stay safe around dogs to avoid a New Haven dog bite.  The good news is that now you have another excuse to not approach the dog, social distance.

Now that we are required to be six feet apart from our neighbors when out for a walk, we can use this strategy to stay safe around unknown dogs.  When you see someone approaching with a dog that is unfamiliar to you, maintain your social distance and you should be fine.  Six feet of distance between you and the dog should be plenty of space for the owner to keep the pup from encroaching on your space.

If there is not room to maintain your social distance on the sidewalk you are walking on, try to move over as far as you can and even come to a stop to let the dog and it’s owner pass you by.  Staying still and far away will give the impression that you’d like to remain distant from not only the human to maintain a safe social distance, but also the dog to avoid being bitten.

While it can be tempting to go up to a dog that is unfamiliar to you and pet him/her, it is not always as harmless as it may seem.  Dogs of all stripes get nervous around unknown people and that is when they can do the most damage and cause real, lasting harm to you.  The safest thing to do when confronted by an unfamiliar dog is to keep your social distance and move along.  You can save your ooing and ahhing for your friend’s dogs who are already familiar with you.

In Connecticut dog bite laws are strict liability which means that dog owners will be held liable unless they can prove that you were trespassing on their property.  Regardless of this law, you will want to avoid an interaction with a dog that will result in a bite and possible significant injury.

If you’ve been injured by a dog and wish to have you case reviewed, contact our office and our experienced New Haven dog bite attorneys will take a look.