This week, a Houston area woman and a 12-year-old child were viciously mauled by 2 pit bulls in separate attacks at their apartment complex. The woman was attacked first and knocked down by the 2 biting dogs. By the time a neighbor came to the rescue of the woman, she suffered serious injuries to an arm and leg. She was sent to the hospital and received around 70 staples because of the bites.

The same dogs attacked the child a few minutes later, biting both of her legs. Fortunately another neighbor was able to fend the dogs off by using a cricket bat. She required medical attention to treat her dog bit injuries. The dogs were captured and later euthanized. Their owners claim to have no idea how their pets had gotten loose.

In a related report, another dog attack took place in Florida this week involving a 2-year-old child and the family pet. The dog, a 50 pound boxer, had clamped down on the child and was seen dragging him outside of their home.

The toddler was airlifted to an area hospital and was listed in serious but stable condition. The dog and her puppies were given to local animal services.

Far too many children and adults are injured by dog bites. According to the Center For Disease Control (CDC), around 5 million people are attacked and injured by dogs yearly. And as you can see from the examples above, it is often a pet that attacks.

While the CDC does consider certain breeds to be high risk dogs, including pit bulls, any dog is capable of inflicting damage, such as the family pet.

We urge all pet owners to take responsibility for their animals. Any dog should not be allowed to run loose or be left unattended with a young child. In the attacks this week in Houston and Florida, the attacks were preventable. All the attacking dogs were unsupervised pets, not wild pack animals. Our best wishes for a speedy recovery to all the victims.

D. Miller Law helps those injured in dog attacks. For help or information on how we can help you file a dog bite claim, please contact us or fill out the “Ask Us A Question” form on this page.