Media
Advisory: DSHS Offers Precautions to Avoid Dog Bites
As
warm weather and vacations take people outdoors more
often, Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)
officials remind people that they can reduce the chances
that they, their children or others will be bitten by a
dog.
“An estimated 400,000 dog bites occur in Texas
each year,” said veterinarian Tom Sidwa, head of the
DSHS zoonosis control. “About 40 percent of severe bite
victims are children under age 11, and 20 percent of the
people who die from dog bites are over 70.”
DSHS offers these suggestions:
- Spay or neuter a dog to reduce aggression but not
protectiveness.
- Spend time with a dog before buying or adopting it.
Use caution when bringing a dog into the home of an
infant or toddler.
- A dog with a history of aggression is not
appropriate in a household with children.
- Train and socialize a puppy early in its life. Do
not tolerate or encourage aggressive behavior.
- Never leave infants and young children unsupervised
around any dog, even the family pet.
- If you see a pack of dogs running loose or any
animal behaving strangely, go inside and call local
animal control.
DSHS also advises teaching children these basic safety
precautions:
- Don't go near strange dogs.
- Don't surprise or tease a dog that is sleeping,
eating, playing with a toy or caring for puppies.
- When you first come near a dog, let the animal see
and sniff you. Walk up to the dog from the side, not
from the back or directly from the front.
- If a dog acts as if it might bite, stand still.
Don't scream or run.
- If a dog attacks, protect yourself with anything you
have – backpack, purse, jacket or bicycle. If you
are knocked down, try to lie face down or curl up in a
ball with your hands over your ears. Be still and
quiet until the dog goes away.
“ If a bite occurs, identify the animal,” Sidwa said.
Immediately wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water
and apply an antiseptic. Contact a physician for care and
advice and report the bite to the
local
animal control agency.
“Responsible pet ownership also is an important part of
dog bite prevention,” Sidwa said.
Lillian’s Law, House Bill 1355 that took effect Sept. 1,
2007, increased penalties for dog owners who fail to
reasonably secure their dogs, resulting in an unprovoked
attack on a person and causing serious injury or death.
The owner of a dog who injures someone can be charged with
a third-degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in
prison. The charge becomes a second-degree felony
punishable by two to 20 years in prison when the injury
results in death. The law was named for Lillian Stiles, an
East Texas woman killed in her front yard by a pack of
dogs.
“People also need to be sure that their animals are up
to date on required shots,” Sidwa said. “State law
requires pet owners to vaccinate their dogs and cats
against rabies by the time they are 4 months old.”
