In Certain Areas, Dog Bite Accidents Are On The Rise

Many of us have been involved in a dog bite accident or know someone who has. The accidents are often traumatic and the process to have the issue addressed afterwards is usually frustrating.

While many pet advocates and other safety advocacy organizations continue to urge the public to take some important steps to avoid the dog bite cases, the number of incidents continues to spike in certain areas of the country.

According to a series of news reports, number of people being injured in dog bite incidents in Washington, D.C. is rising, and it’s rising fast. But that’s not the only problem, the number of illegally owners pit bulls in the area is also on the rise.

Too often, investigators claim, owners who are neglectful promote the perfect environment for dogs to grow aggressive. As a result, more incidents take place.

According to the D.C. Department of Health reports, the number of dog bite incidents has jumped more than 100 percent since 2007. In 2007, 214 dog bite accidents were registered while 457 were registered in 2013. This considerable increase has caused several residents to begin questioning the efforts put forth by the local animal control agencies.

Some argue that the chief reason behind this sharp increase is the increased animal population in the region. With the number of residents growing steadily, the number of pets has also increased. In many of the dog bite cases reported recently, the local Humane Society claims, owners simply failed to follow important leash laws, which may be causing dogs to be straying more frequently.

In the D.C. area, owning a pit bull is illegal. But in certain areas where shelters hold dogs who are found wandering without a leash or owner are housing dozens of pit bulls each day. When officers get calls concerning stray pit bulls, they often see these animals roaming free on busy streets in both Maryland and D.C. areas.

In the entire United States territory, 32 dog bite-related fatalities were reported in 2013 alone. While many U.S. cities ban residents from owning pit bulls, the breed has been associated with 78 percent of the deaths. In the country, pit bulls account for only 6 percent of the dog population. To some experts, that is a clear indication that the breed is more likely to be associated with deadly dog bite incidents.

Unfortunately for many victims, these attacks are hard to avoid when owners do not take proper care of the dogs.