What To Do In The Event Of A New Haven Dog Bite Incident

As the weather slowly warms up we will likely be sharing the Elm City with more and more dogs.  More people will be out walking their dogs and playing with their dogs in city parks which means that the likelihood of a New Haven dog bite injury will increase for all of us.  There are many ways you can avoid a dog bite, but what happens if you try all of those ways and it doesn’t make a difference and you’re faced with a situation where you are getting bitten by an unfamiliar dog?

There are some steps you can take to minimize the possible damage that is caused when a dog is biting you and if you follow these steps you may be able to get out of the attack with limited injuries.  This will be a good thing for your long-term health and happiness and it will also allow the dog to be handled by animal control in a way that is humane and just.  While these steps are not fool proof and like any situation they may not work every time, they are good first steps to try to get yourself out of a difficult situation with a dog that you might not otherwise know.

Take these steps if you do find yourself in a situation where a dog is attacking you to try to minimize risk to you;

Step #1: Remain calm.  While this may be a very difficult thing to do when you are under duress from a dog biting you, it is one way to keep the dog from getting even more riled up and causing greater damage.  If you can stay calm it will be much easier to calm the dog down.  There may be certain situations where the dog is inconsolable and therefore your calmness may not have an impact, but in many cases you being able to remain calm will allow the dog to see that you are not a threat and may encourage the dog to back off.

Step #2: Find a nearby alternative for the dog to chew on.  Whether the dog has your finger or your arm or your leg in his mouth you will want to find something nearby that you can substitute for your extremity.  For instance, if you are outside and there is a stick nearby you should do your best to grab it and put it in the dog’s mouth to replace your arm or leg and give the dog something else to be focused in on.  It doesn’t have to be a stick either, it could be anything that could be placed in the dogs mouth.  Things like notebooks, a water bottle or a purse/bag of some sort may do the trick and allow you to escape the grips of the dog and reduce your chances of being injured.

Step #3: Do not resist the bite.  Once the dog has gotten a hold of you fighting the dog and resisting the bite will only get the dog more excitable and cause him to fight back causing more damage and a greater injury.  If the dog has a hold of your arm or leg letting it hold on will not affect the severity of the bite, but it will allow the dog to naturally calm down and let go on his own terms.  While this may be uncomfortable for the time that the dog has your arm or leg in his mouth, it will ultimately make your injury less severe and allow you to escape with limited injuries.

Once you’ve been able to get free using one of the steps above you will want to square up to the dog and in a very stern voice say “NO” and walk away slowly.  While you’re walking away, never turn your back on the dog.

Taking these steps will help alleviate additional injuries that might be caused once the New Haven dog bite happens.  If you’re able to follow these steps you will likely be able to escape a dog bite incident with limited injuries.  This will make it so you may not even need to seek medical attention, but certainly if the dog has broken skin or caused bleeding or discomfort in any way you may want to seek medical attention.

You may also feel the need to seek legal action and that would require the services of an experienced attorney.  Contact our office and one of our attorneys, who have worked on many dog bite situations, will speak with you regarding your situation and work with you to protect your long-term interests.