Warm weather in summertime in the state of Oregon and Washington unfortunately means an increase of facial dog bites to children so says Dr. Ricard Polsky PHD in his Dog Bite Behavior & the Law summer 2009 newsletter.

Having handled dog bite injury cases over the last 18 years I know he is right and such tragic cases often involve children who happened to be out playing in warm weather where unsafe owners often let their dogs roam unleashed.

Kids often get facial wounds and bites from dogs because as children they are shorter and their faces are at the attack prone level of the dog doing the harm. My best advice is photograph the wound and get an opinion from a qualified plastic surgeon.

Plastic surgery procedures usually occur post bite but getting a qualified dog bite lawyer involved earlier is critical to a good monetary recovery. Because while the wound will heal the claim and its monetary recovery should be brought in certain cases before the wound is corrected by the plastic surgeon.

It is well known in the dog bite injury field that sudden movements can prompt a dog to bite. Animal behaviorist Richard Polsky PHD in his summer Dog Behavior & the Law Report reports that a baby swing is a recently identified trigger in causing a predatory reaction in dogs. Polsky reports of a two week old infant who was dragged and killed by pit bull bred. He further reports of another child who died in swing after the child’s mom left the room.

Having handled and litigated dog bite cases in Oregon and Washington involving day care centers its prudent for any parent to inquire whether dogs are present, including whether there is a history of prior aggression, as well as to identify whether anything like a baby swing like trigger an aggressive response from a dog.

Over the weekend, a lady was mauled by a Great Dane/Bull Mastiff. She was out walking her dog as the large 150 lbs dog ran out of its fence and attacked. She is still in the hospital after being operated on for numerous wounds.

It is unknown what set the dog off, but police later found its owner dead. The owner had a heart attack while mowing the lawn. It is possible that the death of its owner set the dog off and it was able to leave the fenced yard because the fence was open to mow.

It is always important to understand that dogs can be set off by anything at anytime. Even if you know the dog, a death of an owner could in fact change the behavior of the animal. When you are out walking or on a bicycle, always look at your surroundings. You need to be aware of any dogs loose.

If you are attacked by a dog in the state of Oregon, contact an Oregon attorney that is familiar with the dog laws.

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