Just last week a friend was walking down the street. As she started to walk in front of a house a dog came out barking. It was on an extended leash. The owner told her the dog would not bite so my friend kept walking on the sidewalk. Well the owner didn’t know their dog very well because he bit my friend on the leg breaking the skin and bringing blood. My friend called me on her cell phone and asked what she should do.
Here are the things you need to do if you experience a dog bite:
- Get the name, address and phone number of the dog owner.
- Ask them to provide proof their dog has been vaccinated against rabies.
- If necessary, seek medical attention. If you have not had a tetanus shot you want to check with your doctor if you need one.
- Wash your wound with soap and water.
- If bleeding you can apply pressure with gauze or a clean towel.
- Apply an antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin to the area twice a day.
- Call Animal Control or the non emergency police number to report the incident.
Did you know around 800,000 people receive medical attention each year because of dog bites? Half of these are children!
- Never leave a dog alone and unsupervised with children.
- Ask permission before petting a dog, and allow it to sniff you first.
- Keep your dog under control and observe the leash laws.
- Don’t interfere with dogs that are sleeping or eating.
- Give the dog space
Teaching children on how to approach a dog and what to do if a strange dog is seen is very important.
Children should be taught the following things:
- Not to approach dogs they do not know
- Not to antagonize dogs by pulling their tail and ears or pinching
- Not to run or scream if a dog is chasing you
- Not to bother a dog when it is sleeping or eating or has a toy
Teach your children that if they are being chased by a dog, do not run! They should “stand like a tree”, or curl up in a tight ball on the ground.