Keep These Three Tips In Mind As We Kick-Off National Dog Bite Awareness Week

Today marks the beginning of National Dog Bite Awareness week when we all take a few minutes to remember our responsibility as pet owners and remind each other that New Haven dog bite injuries are a real thing and they happen each and every day.  It is so important to take a good look at the practices we are using to secure our pet each and every day so that she/he is not in a position to injure someone.

When you are thinking about ways that you can be a good pet owner, one of the first things that should come to mind is your ability to keep your pet safe while also keeping those around you and your pet safe.  If you are doing this, you are doing a large percentage of what is required to be a good pet owner and a good neighbor.

If you’re not sure where to start given your pet ownership the following tips will help you and your pet stay out of any hot water;

1.) When neighbors, delivery people, or strangers are approaching your home, make sure you secure your dog so that she/he is not able to approach the person who is coming to the door.  Your dog can be placed in another room, put on a leash, or restrained by you, but the dog should not be allowed to approach, in close proximity, the person who is coming onto your property.  If the dog is away from the person there is very little chance that the dog will cause any harm.

2.) Do not allow children to be the first to interact with a new visitor to your home.  Often dogs are protective of their humans and especially if a child is approached by a stranger that the dog does not know, the animal may perceive this is a threat to the child’s safety and act aggressively even if the approaching human is harmless.

3.) If your pet is outside when someone is approaching you may wish to ask the person who is approaching to maintain a safe distance until you can get your pet securely settled in a different area of the yard or inside your home.  If the animal is left to run wild without a leash or any restraints it is possible that she/he will attack the person who is approaching and cause serious injury or worse.

Dogs are protective of their homes and their humans and new or strange people approaching their home may lead to the animal getting aggressive and acting out of a thought of protection.  Regardless of the animal’s intent if a New Haven dog bite injury were to occur you, as the pet’s owner, may be held liable.  If you are the approaching human, you will want to keep a safe distance to allow the animal to protect it’s home without having to approach you.

Whatever the circumstance was when you approached an animal, if the animal bit you, you may need an attorney to review your case and work with you to protect your long-term interests.  Contact our office and one of our experienced attorneys will spend some time speaking with you about how they may be able to help.