Dogs are wonderful pets, and many Americans consider their dogs a part of their family. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, about 36 percent of homes in the U.S. own at least one pet dog, and report that the country is home to more than 70 million pet dogs. Furthermore, research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that owning a dog can have multiple health benefits, including reducing blood pressure, decreasing cholesterol levels, helping with feelings of loneliness, and giving owners more opportunities to exercise and socialize.

However, no matter how wonderful a pet dog may be, they still have the potential to cause serious bite injuries under the wrong circumstances. The CDC states that around 4.5 million people in the U.S. are bitten yearly by dogs. Many of these injuries don’t cause severe or lasting trauma, but sometimes dog bites can be severe. When dogs become aggressive, they can leave people with complex and expensive injuries to recover from. In extreme cases, dog bites can leave people with life-long symptoms and even cause fatal injuries.

• Around 1,000 people in the U.S. require emergency medical care for dog bites daily.
• Around 92 percent of dog bites involving fatal injuries are caused by male dogs.
• Around one-quarter of fatal dog attacks involve dogs on chains.
• U.S. insurance companies pay over one billion dollars for dog bite injuries annually.
• About two-thirds of bites happen on or near the injured person’s home.
• Over half of those injured by dog bites know the dog that bit them.
• Nearly three-quarters of dog bites affect extremities such as legs, arms, hands, and feet.

We’ve met many dogs from breeds that are considered dangerous and found them to be very friendly, calm, and well-behaved pets. However, throughout our years representing people injured by dogs, we have heard many stories of dogs from dangerous breeds quickly turning from well-behaved to aggressive. Although this doesn’t happen often, and many dogs never bite, it is good to know which breeds often become aggressive.

Breeds that most often bite include:

• German Shepherd
• Australian Shepherd
• Chihuahua
• Bulldog
• Pit Bull
• Jack Russell Terrier
• Bull Terrier
• Pekingese
• Lhasa Apso
• Cocker Spaniel

To learn some helpful information on how to prevent dog bites, you can watch the informative video below:

Although many people don’t realize it, dog bites can be severe. When dogs attack, they often leave people with injuries that affect them for the rest of their lives. Dog bites can cause severe scarring, disfigurement, bone fractures, etc. Because these incidents can be severe, Vallejo dog bite injury attorneys may seek fair compensation for injured parties for various financial and intangible losses. These losses include:

• Lost income (as well as income one might lose in the future)
• Medical bills
• Emotional distress
• Pain and suffering
• Other damages related to the bite