This paper summarizes the dangers to the general public of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, from dog bites, describes the ways in which people who have been bitten by a dog should be treated, and discusses what one can do to prevent oneself or a member of one's family from being bitten by a dog.
Dogs, while they can be wonderful members of the family and ideal pets, can also be vicious. Across the country thousands of people are bitten by dogs each year, including many who are bitten by their own animals or animals that they know. Nationally, the problem is a severe one:
Dogs can make great pets. But dogs can also bite people and cause serious injuries and, in some cases, even death. It has been estimated that nearly 4.5 million people in this country are bitten by dogs each year. Of those, nearly 334,000 require treatment in an emergency room and another 466,000 are seen in other medical settings. Thousands of others require in-patient care, with the average hospital stay being estimated at 3.6 days.รก
In addition to these injuries, dog bite attacks also cause death. In 1997 and 1998, for example, 27 people died as a result of dog bite attacks in the United States. From 1978 through 1996, more than 300 people died as a result of dog bite attacks; 10 of those attacks occurred in Pennsylvania. Sadly, most of the victims of fatal dog bite attacks are children (http://www.edgarsnyder.com/injured/dog/index.html).
Figures are not tallied for all dog bites in Lehigh county because few involve law enforcement. However, two lawyers in the county who work with dog bite victims each placed the number of dog bites that occur (and that require some form of medical treatment, at least at home) as around 3500 a year.
The group of people who are bitten the most are children under the age of 18 and (to be more specific) children under the age of 12. There are a number of possible reasons for this, according to Marc Williams
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