Dogs and humans have lived together as companions and co-workers for thousands of years, yes thousands. Dogs are amazing, wonderful, and loving. They work for us by protecting our homes, rescuing us in disasters, finding lost people, pulling sleds, leading the blind, comforting the sick, herding our livestock, sniffing out drugs and bombs, detecting disease, and so much more. They are our companions in our homes, and in our hearts.

So why then are so many people bitten by dogs? There are many reasons, but some of the more common ones are:

• A dog is sick or injured and wants to be left alone, the same way many of us would like to be when we do not feel well.
• Some dogs are possessive of their food or toys, bones or even their people.
• Dogs like to protect their people, their house, even their bed.
• A dog will also bite when it is afraid, or startled.

The best way to avoid a dog bite injury is to teach everyone in your family how to communicate with and respect all dogs. Let’s review what parents can teach their children.

1. Do not bother dogs when they are sleeping, eating, drinking, chewing toys/bones, or caring for puppies.
2. Do not hug and kiss dogs. Most dogs do not like this and it accounts for many facial dog bite injuries.
3. Never play rough or pretend attack games, the dog will not be able to tell the difference between play and the real thing.
4. Do not leave children unattended with a dog.
5. Never approach a strange dog, even one on a leash, without asking the handler if it’s okay. When you do ask, respect the response, not all dogs are friendly or interact well with children.
6. Teach your child to stand perfectly still with hands by their side when they are approached by a strange dog.
7. The child should stand still, like a tree.

Don’t allow your children to pet a dog through a fence, a car window or a crate.

Even dogs who love children and will often put up with them climbing all over them need time alone and away for kids. As parents and protectors of both the children and the dogs, it’s your job to watch for signs when dogs are saying they have had enough. If you see these signs, remove the dog immediately from the stressful situation to avoid dog bite attacks.

• If the dogs turns its head away from the child, looks at you with a pleading look of “help me”, or gets up and walks away, they need time alone.
• If a dogs starts to yawn, lick their chops, or scratch and bite themselves when children get close, they need to be alone. You should remove them from the situation.

Remember dogs don’t bite for no reason. If they are trying to tell you they have had enough, pay attention. It’s the best way to prevent a dog bite injury.

Farmington Hills, MI – A woman from Portage, Michigan faces criminal charges, after her two unattended pit bulls recently attacked both an Australian shepherd and its owner. The local prosecutor charged the woman with multiple misdemeanor offenses, including two counts of having animals running at large, two counts of a dog biting a person, and two counts of destruction of property.

The accused maintained that she was not present at the time of the attack, and that an unknown person released the pit bulls from her fenced yard, enabling their escape and the attack. She acknowledged that one of her dogs became ‘animal aggressive’ after another dog attack nearly six years ago.

Meanwhile, the dog attack victim is recovering from bites on both hands. Regardless of the outcome of the criminal prosecution, the victim could file a civil lawsuit, pursuant to the Michigan Dog Bite Statute, MCL 287.351, to recover damages for injuries to herself and her dog. This law provides that the owner of a dog is liable for any damages suffered by the person who was attacked.

According to the Michigan Dog Bite Statute, the victim may recover for her injuries, whether or not the dog had a history of viciousness or the owner had knowledge of the dog’s propensity to attack.

The Michigan dog bite law is considered a ‘strict liability’ statute. In other words, Michigan dog bite law makes a Michigan dog owner responsible for any physical injury that the dog causes to the Michigan dog bite victim.

The Michigan Dog Bite Statute, MCL 287.351, specifically states:

If a dog bites a person, without provocation while the person is on public property, or lawfully on private property, including the property of the owner of the dog, the owner of the dog shall be liable for any damages suffered by the person bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner’s knowledge of such viciousness.

A comprehensive national study of dog attack injuries revealed that dogs bite approximately 4.7 million Americans every year. Of these, about 800,000 dog bite victims require medical attention.

Each year, 1.8% of the U.S. population is bitten by a dog. One out of every six of the dog bite victims has to seek medical care because of an attack. Tragically, almost half of all dog bite victims are children.

“If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury as a result of a Michigan dog bite, it’s important to know and protect your legal rights,” says Michigan dog bite lawyer Mark Bernstein. “Michigan dog bites cases are different from other states because Michigan does not allow one ‘free bite’. Dog owners are responsible even if they were unaware of the incident or their dog had never bitten before.”

Mark Bernstein and the Michigan dog bite attorneys at the Sam Bernstein Law Firm have been protecting the rights of dog bite victims since 1968.