Children are 3x More Likely to Suffer From a Dog Bite During the Summer

Like most kids, your children probably like to play outside during the summer months. To keep them safe, be sure to educate them first on animal bite prevention. Approximately 4.7 million dog bites occur every year. Over half of these involve children under 12 years old.

A nonprofit organization called Prevent a Bite says children are three times more likely than adults to get bit by dogs. Infants and toddlers especially are even more at risk because they are closer to the eye level of a dog, which can appear very threatening to an animal.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported 29,000 reconstructive surgeries in 2011 due to dog bites nationwide.

Summer is full of many appetizing smells and intriguing sights that will easily attract a curious dog. Dogs are more likely to be off-leash playing and running during the summer. Because they aren’t in school, children are playing outside more and have more unsupervised play time around dogs.

These simple precautions during the summer will help lower the risk of your child suffering from a dog bite.

• Never take anything out of a dog’s mouth
• Never hug a dog or put your face near a dog’s face
• Never tease a dog or play teasing games like tug-of-war or keep away
• Never go near a dog that is sleeping, eating or sick
• Never go near a dog that is in a car or in a fenced yard without the owner
• Never pet a strange dog without the owner

Contact our Denver personal injury lawyers today.