A woman was walking across the parking lot of a WilcoHess gas station on the 4400 block of Princess Anne Road in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) when a dog jumped out of a car and viciously attacked her. Severe damage was done to her throat, which required surgery.
The dog was an Akita and is currently in quarantine at an Animal Control Center, according to The Virginian-Pilot. There’s a misconception that pit bulls are the only violent dog breed, but this situation makes it clear that many breeds can become violent.
A study done in 1997 on dog bite fatalities between 1979 and 1996 revealed that the following breeds killed one or more people: pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, huskies, Alaskan malamutes, Doberman pinschers, chows, Great Danes, St. Bernards and Akitas. Since 1975, fatal attacks have been attributed to dogs from at least 30 breeds, according to dogbitelaw.com.
As a personal injury attorney with 20 years of experience, I’m always saddened to hear about a traumatic injury that could have, and should have, been prevented. This attack is a clear indication dog owners must exercise consistent vigilance over their pets and manage them properly.
Charges are pending against the owner of the Akita, and rightfully so. The owner should have taken the necessary steps to prevent the dog from leaving the vehicle (such as having a leash on the dog and connected to a seat in the vehicle) and taken the dog through proper training to ensure the animal would obey rather than ignore commands.
Here is a video about what to do to prevent a dog attack
Over 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year. Approximately 885,000 people seek medical attention for those bites, according to the CDC. 386,000 of those people require emergency medical treatment and nearly 12 people die each year from dog-related attacks. Clearly, this is a serious issue and not an isolated incident. In fact, an American has a one in 50 chance of being bitten by a dog, according to the CDC.
Fortunately, Virginia (VA) has a Dangerous Dog Registry where you can find out where aggressive and violent dogs are in proximity to your home.
About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm is based in Virginia (VA), near the NE North Carolina (NC) border and handles car,truck,railroad, and medical negligence cases and more. Our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service. Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY.
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