Avoid A New Haven Dog Bite Injury While On Vacation

The summer weather is perfect for a vacation with the whole family and what better place to vacation then along the Connecticut shoreline in one of the most up and coming cities in the country.  If you’re planning a vacation to New Haven or are already here, welcome to the Elm City.  We hope you brought you love dogs because New Haven is a great dog city, but we also want to help make sure that you do not leave with a bitter pill to swallow after getting yourself a New Haven dog bite injury.

Before you left for your trip to our fair city you probably packed the essentials, but did you pack your knowledge of how to avoid an injury when interacting with an unfamiliar dog?  We hope you did, but if not, here are some helpful tips when you’re navigating the streets of New Haven and some of wonderful parks along the way.

Tip #1: Approach a dog carefully, especially if the dog is off her/his leash.  If the dog is leashed you should make sure you make contact with the owner and get assurance that the dog is ok to approach.  If the owner agrees, you should be ok.  If the dog is off its leash you may want to steer clear all together as there is no telling what the situation that the dog is in is.

Tip #2: Never approach a dog that is panting or appears agitated.  The warm New Haven summers can make the best of us humans agitated and irritable and the same can go for dogs.  On a hot summer day, dogs may become less approachable and therefore more likely to bite someone who is not familiar to them.

Tip #3: Do not approach a dog from behind.  One of the worst things you can do is startle a dog by coming up behind her/him and trying to pet the puppy.  No matter how friendly a dog appears, there is no telling how they will react after you approach them from behind.  If you absolutely must approach the dog, walk around to the front of the dog, so the animal can see you and start your interaction there.

There is a lot of fun to be had in the Elm City, especially in the summer months.  Whether you’re visiting for a vacation or live here year round, there is nothing like the heartbeat of our city in the summer.  That being said, you won’t want to ruin your summer fun by getting a New Haven dog bite injury, so following these tips above will keep you safe and healthy all year round.

If you do find yourself injured by a dog, you may need to speak with an attorney.  Contact our office and one of our experienced attorneys will speak with you about the incident and work to protect your long-term interests.