California Injury Blog
In a dog bite attack, a 9-year-old boy’s top lip was ripped off when his pet dog, a pit-bull terrier, tried to snatch a cookie out of his mouth, according to BBC News report last week.
The family raised the dog, Simba, from the time he was a puppy, and although this is the first dog bite incident they have experienced, the family has since euthanized Simba and given away another pit-bull terrier they owned. Pit-bull breeds are listed by the CDC as being a dangerous breed.
John Henderson, the dog bite victim, reportedly needed a skin graft to try and repair as much of the damage as possible, at least at this point in time. John must now wait six weeks before the extent of the damage is known.
According to the news report, the dog bit the boy’s lip and would not release. The boy’s mother said she would never have another dog after this traumatic incident.
“It was horrible – our worst nightmare,” she said.
She was in the kitchen with her son when he asked if he could have a cookie. She handed him one while he was petting the dog. When he proceeded to eat his treat, the dog went for it also, biting the child on the mouth and lip.
After the dog finally released the small boy, “John was screaming and was trying to feel his mouth,” his mother said.
The boy underwent a two-hour skin graft from his leg. His mother believes he will need at least two more operations, the article said.
Unfortunately, we see these cases all the time. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, each year, 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for dog bites; more than half (60%) of these are children. Of those injured, 386,000 require treatment in an emergency department and about a dozen die. A recent study showed that 77% of the dog bite injuries in children under the age of 10 years were facial. The rate of dog bite-related injuries is highest for children ages 5 to 9 years, and the rate decreases as children age. Injury rates in children are significantly higher for boys than for girls.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has numerous educational resources on its Web site, worth going over.
Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys, is a prominent and respected California Dog Bite Injury law firm that has been representing the victims of dog bites and dog attacks since 1978. If you are a dog bite victim or your child or loved one has been a victim, please contact us for your free consultation. Our team of dedicated dog bite attorneys can help you.