Even as an adult, getting charged by an aggressive dog — while you’re out for a jog, for instance — is a frightening and frustrating experience. No one wants to get attacked and suffer serious bite injuries. Even if you avoid a bite, you’ll likely feel annoyed that some dog owner was irresponsible enough to allow that situation to happen. Why didn’t they keep you safe?
All of this is important to consider at any age, but parents need to know that the risk is especially great for children.
Small stature and exposed vulnerable regions
The main reason, naturally, is that children are small. A dog that attacks a child will often try to bit the neck, the face or the eyes. While an adult may block the dog and suffer a bite to the hand or arm — still a serious issue, to be sure — the child won’t do that and the dog will easily be able to reach an area where a fatal bite can occur.
Being so small, children are also at risk because they can’t do as much to defend themselves. This isn’t to say that all adults can, either. Anyone who gets attacked by a large, powerful dog may find that it is both stronger and faster than them. But it doesn’t take much to see how that danger could be greater for a 5-year-old who can’t even push the dog away.
Finally, many children accidentally put themselves in dangerous situations. They may not understand that a dog is acting agitated or showing signs that it may bite. They may walk up behind a dog that is eating or startle a sleeping dog. So, not only are children more likely to be severely injured if an attack happens, but they are more likely to be attacked in the first place.
You may be able to seek compensation
Has your child been injured by someone else’s dog? These injuries can be life-altering and expensive, so you need to know how to seek proper compensation from the owners to cover these costs.