Pit Bull Attack Kills Toddler
A three year old Apple Valley toddler was killed in a brutal pit bull attack Saturday afternoon in his own backyard. A bystander at the tragic attack in the 23500 block of Goshute Avenue attempted to administer CPR following the 2:52 p.m. attack, according to reports at the scene of the vivious pit bull attack.
The toddler's grandfather was contacted and arrived at the large property to open the electric gate so the firefighters and the American Medical Response ambulance crew who responded to the emergency could enter the property.
Pit Bull Attack Occurred In Own Backyard
The dog’s owners were unable to gain control of the vicious pit bull as it continued to lunge and attack anyone who approached it. When firefighters arrived at the scene of the attack, the pit bull, completely covered in blood, started to attack the firefighters, said Art Bishop, a deputy chief with the Apple Valley Fire Protection District.
A San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputy shot the dog, Bishop said. Paramedics administered CPR at the home and enroute to St. Mary Medical Center. San Bernardino County Coroner David McCarthy reported on Sunday that the toddler, Omar Martinez, was unresponsive when rescuers arrived and he was pronounced dead at St. Mary Medical Center on Saturday.
Bishop said the boy and his father had been together in the backyard. The father reportedly went back inside the house for a moment and the pit bull attacked the child. This incident brings up several areas that can be improved to help prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future. First, all households are different and you should consult with a professional to learn about suitable breeds of dogs for your particular household.
Pit Bull Attacks Are Preventable
Second, dogs with a history of aggression are inappropriate in households with children, don’t allow them near your children. Third, you should never leave a three year old toddler unattended with a dog even for a moment. Pit bull attacks can be swift and dog bite injuries can be deadly. Young children are much more likely to be attacked and killed by dog bite injuries than older children.
Fourth, pit bull type dogs have killed more humans than any other breed of dog by a large margin. A special report released by Vet Med Today showed that pit bull attacks resulted in 66 dog bite related fatalities (DBRF) from 1979-1998. Pit bull attacks accounted for more than twice as many deaths as the next animal on the list, the Rottweiler, with 29 dog bite related fatalities during the same time period.
Contact Dog Bite Attorney
Since this pit bull attack occurred in California, which is a strict liability state, a dog owner is liable for injuries inflicted by his dog upon a human being, even if the dog’s owner is not found negligent and the dog had never before bitten anyone. If you or a loved one have been involved in a pit bull attack please contact a qualified dog bite attorney today at The Law Offices of Nadrich & Cohen, we can help you.
How To Prevent Dog Bites
How To Prevent Dog Bites
There are almost 4.7 million dog bites each year with nearly one in five dog bite injuries requiring medical attention. Dog bite fatalities have increased by 50 percent since the 1990s and there are close to 30 fatalities each year caused by dog bite injuries.
In 2006 more than 31,000 victims of dog bites underwent painful reconstructive surgery costing consumers millions in medical costs. Dog bites present a serious public health problem that is both physically and emotionally damaging to dog bite victims. Many dog bites are preventable especially among children.
Preventing Dog Bites To Children
Children are by far the most likely to sustain dog bite injuries. The younger the child the more likely the dog bite injuries will be fatal. Seventy-seven percent of dog bites are inflicted by pets of the family or friends of the victim. Half of all dog bite attacks happen on the dog owner’s property.
If you have young children, under fifteen years old, you must be aware of the dogs your children come in contact with. You must deny your child any contact whatsoever to aggressive dogs. You must choose between having aggressive dogs or children, but you shouldn't have both.
When you have chidren seven years old or younger even non-aggressive dogs can attack them. You must be ever vigilant in knowing where your infant is at all times when you have a dog in the house. You should allow no contact between an infant and a dog. Until a child can fully understand the dangers that could be present when interacting with dogs they should not be allowed any contact.
You must make sure your neighbors dogs are not vicious and have no access to your property. You must also explain to your children about petting dogs unknown to them, that advice holds true even for adults.
Preventing Dog Bites While Traveling
You wouldn't expect to be cautioned on dog bites while on vacation but a study by the CDC tells a very different story. Experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in association with GeoSentinel Surveillance Network produced a study that found during the past 10 years, one of the more common health problems facing travelers to China were dog bites.
“Many international travelers worry about exotic diseases. They probably don’t think about injuries or dog bites, but the study found that travelers to China sought treatment for these ailments more often,” said Dr. Nina Marano, chief of the CDC’s Travelers’ Health and Animal Importation Branch. “Travelers need to be cautious about dog bites, as China has the second highest rate of human rabies cases in the world.” Travelers to any country are advised not to pet stray dogs.
Contact A Dog Bite Attorney
If you or a loved one have been the victim of a dog bite attack you should contact a dog bite attorney as soon as possible. Contact us at The Law Offices of Nadrich & Cohen, we can help you.