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WASHINGTON - It's a biting statistic: 4.7 million people -- half of them children under 12 -- are bitten each year by a dog.

The result is costly for both victim and owner. There are 70 million dogs in the United States and, according to the Insurance Information Institute, insurance companies pay out $489 million a year in bite claims.

Add in medical costs for victims not covered by insurance, as well as emotional and physical scars, and biting dogs become more than a simple nuisance.

May 19 to May 25 is National Dog Bite Prevention week, and there are ways to cut down on bite incidents.

Veterinarian Bonnie Beaver from the American Veterinary Medical Association says dogs should never be left near children unsupervised.

"Children do strange things from the dog's perspective and the dog may not necessarily understand what's going on," Beaver says.

She says dogs bite because they are afraid, and advises getting dogs used to people when they are puppies and not isolating the animals.

Some other dog bite statistics:
•There were 2,752 reconstructive procedures in 2012 because of dog bites.
•Of the children bitten, approximately 400,000 every year need medical attention.
• Postal carriers were bitten 5,879 times in 2012, an increase of 274 from 2011.

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Originally posted by NewOldBrownCoat:
Damn, maybe we oughtta register, regulate,control and license dogs...

Oh, yeah, wait, we do, don't we?

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Originally posted by Magonsdaughter:
Dog breeds banned because they pose too much danger to people.
http://listverse.com/2011/08/23/top-10-banned-dog-breeds/

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Originally posted by NewOldBrownCoat:
Damn, maybe we oughtta register, regulate,control and license dogs...

Oh, yeah, wait, we do, don't we? Maybe we need a Constitutional Amendment assuring our right to keep and bear DOGS, before OBAMA confiscates them ALL.
(Watch out , NIki, he's gonna start with Huskies...)

Or maybe we need a leash law for gun owners...

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A new law was implemented in Victoria, Australia last week that will lead to the seizure and killing of any dog fitting the criteria for an unregistered restricted breed found after the law goes into effect.

Targeted breeds include the American pit bull terrier, perro de presa canario, dogo Argentino, Japanese tosa and fila Brasileiro. Anyone with a look-alike will need will need to show papers or a certificate from a veterinarian as proof.

In addition to registering their dogs, owners will have to prove that their dogs are spayed/neutered, microchipped, kept in an inescapable enclosure, muzzled and leashed off of their property and accompanied by someone at least 17 years old. Owners may also be fined up to $4,885 if they lose control of their dog and $2,442 if their dog escapes, or they move without notifying authorities, according to the AP.

The new law was spurred by recent attacks but has many worried, including the Australian Services Union, that targeting specific breeds will not only be ineffective in preventing attacks, but will also increase the risks to those who are responsible for identifying, seizing and destroying the dogs.

Others, including the union, raised concerns about the legal issues that could arise if a dog was misidentified and destroyed. Take this neat little test to see if you can pick the pit bull.

The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) also spoke out against the legislation, with a “ban the deed, not the breed,” stance.

“Our thoughts go out to anyone who has suffered from a dog attack, and the death of a child is particularly distressing,” said Dr Susan Maastricht, Victorian President of the AVA.

“The AVA believes the legislation proposed in Victoria is not a long term solution. The risk is this could lull the community into a false sense of security and do little to address the overall problem of dog bites. We are very concerned that innocent families and family pets will become scapegoats when they’ve done nothing wrong.”

While this new law is only in Victoria, expansion may be supported by other officials.



Copyright © 2013 Care2.com, inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/new-australian-law-deadly-for-pit-bulls.ht
ml#ixzz2TVcrkSrI

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A new law was implemented in Victoria, Australia last week that will lead to the seizure and killing of any dog fitting the criteria for an unregistered restricted breed found after the law goes into effect.

Targeted breeds include the American pit bull terrier, perro de presa canario, dogo Argentino, Japanese tosa and fila Brasileiro. Anyone with a look-alike will need will need to show papers or a certificate from a veterinarian as proof.

In addition to registering their dogs, owners will have to prove that their dogs are spayed/neutered, microchipped, kept in an inescapable enclosure, muzzled and leashed off of their property and accompanied by someone at least 17 years old. Owners may also be fined up to $4,885 if they lose control of their dog and $2,442 if their dog escapes, or they move without notifying authorities, according to the AP.

The new law was spurred by recent attacks but has many worried, including the Australian Services Union, that targeting specific breeds will not only be ineffective in preventing attacks, but will also increase the risks to those who are responsible for identifying, seizing and destroying the dogs.

Others, including the union, raised concerns about the legal issues that could arise if a dog was misidentified and destroyed. Take this neat little test to see if you can pick the pit bull.

The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) also spoke out against the legislation, with a “ban the deed, not the breed,” stance.

“Our thoughts go out to anyone who has suffered from a dog attack, and the death of a child is particularly distressing,” said Dr Susan Maastricht, Victorian President of the AVA.

“The AVA believes the legislation proposed in Victoria is not a long term solution. The risk is this could lull the community into a false sense of security and do little to address the overall problem of dog bites. We are very concerned that innocent families and family pets will become scapegoats when they’ve done nothing wrong.”

While this new law is only in Victoria, expansion may be supported by other officials.



Copyright © 2013 Care2.com, inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/new-australian-law-deadly-for-pit-bulls.ht
ml#ixzz2TVcrkSrI

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Compare and contrast with, say, a chain saw, or a drill, or a gun. When left by themselves, they are a danger to no one.

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Originally posted by 1kiki:
A small NOISY dog is good protection. I had a big dog - not for protection, she was a stray who cozied up to me in a parking lot - but it turned out her bark was so loud it literally made the doorbell chimes in the hallway hum when she barked in the living room. There was no way anyone was going to secretly sneak into the house.

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Originally posted by Niki2:
The problem, as with guns, is the people.

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But dogs are NOTHING like as dangerous, accidentally especially, as guns, so a foolish person can own dogs all their lives and those dogs would never be involved in biting someone. A foolish person can own a gun for a very short time and have something deadly happen; the woman at Starbucks who didn't even remember WHICH PURSE HER GUN WAS IN is a prime example of both that and the fact that we have a problem with the MENTALITY around guns.

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Originally posted by kpo:

a gun is a tool for killing human beings.

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It also does work on rattlesnakes, lions, bears, and deer, and cattle or hogs at butchering time.

There are some natural threats or resources for which it is a valid tool.

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Originally posted by 1KIKI:
ound checks?

How about nitroglycerin? Should people need to prove they know how to store and use it safely, and have no documented criminal or psychological issues before they can get it - or should any old bubba be able to get and keep as much as they want, whenever they want it? How would you feel if that crazy old crank, or worse, a Muslim living next door to you, had three tons in their sweltering garage?

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Originally posted by Geezer:

EXACTLY!!!!!

Would you have the authorities round up and euthanize all pit bulls, or prohibit their sale, because some folks breed and train them improperly - to make them aggressive and dangerous? Is it the dog's fault, or the owner's?

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