California Injury Blog
An animal control officer will have to undergo surgery after he suffered injuries to his legs and arm, mauled by a pit-bull at a Lakewood home. The 28-year-old officer, who has not been identified, reportedly went to the home to speak to the resident about having too many pit-bulls and address certain dog violations at that residence, according to an article in the Daily Breeze.
The dog owner, who had five pit-bulls, agreed to let go of three. But when the officer tried to take the dogs, one of the pit-bulls attacked him, biting him in his legs and arm. The officer has a break in his knuckle, deep cuts and tears. Officials are concerned about possible nerve damage and infection.
There is no question that this dog bit victim will be entitled to workers compensation from his employer as well as from the dog owner. It is outrageous that this dog owner had five pit-bulls and tragic that this animal control officer got brutally attacked when he was trying to do his job.
Anyone who says breeds such as pit-bulls and rottweilers are harmless pets only need to look as far as the day’s newspaper or television newscast. Numbers don’t lie. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, pit-bulls and rottweilers account for 60 percent of fatal dog attacks in the United States.
More and more cities are enacting new dangerous dog ordinances or revising/updating their existing laws to reflect the reality today. Dog owners simply must control their pets. If an owner knows his or her dogs to be dangerous, the animals must be restrained. Dog owners must be required to have adequate liability insurance to cover an unsuspecting member of community who gets attacked and injured by the animal.
We wish the injured animal control officer a safe a speedy recovery. We have seen numerous clients – irrespective of their age – suffering severe emotional and psychological trauma as a result of dog attacks as well. The victim would be well advised to retain a personal injury attorney who will fight for him and protect his rights and make sure that he gets the compensation he rightfully deserves.