Dogs can be extremely dangerous. In fact, as many as 4.7 million people suffer a dog bit in the United States every single year. According to the American Humane Association, nearly 800,000 victims of dog bites require medical care after their attack. These staggering numbers can be reduced, and many safety groups are working hard to remove the risk of dangerous dogs from communities throughout the United States.

About two-thirds of all dog bites occur on or near a victim's property and the majority of victims that are attacked know the dog that attacked them. Yet there are still many situations when a dog may seem friendly but have a tendency to be aggressive with strangers. That is why some safety advocates have invented the Yellow Dog Initiative. This is a program which issues yellow ribbons to pet owners who have dogs that have shown aggression or can be dangerous. While the yellow ribbon does not signify immediate danger, when tied on the dog it serves as a warning that the animal could be dangerous or might be cautious around strangers.

By warning people with this yellow ribbon, many safety advocates believe that they can help to reduce the number of dog attacks that are experienced in the United States. The Yellow Dog Project does not let owners off the hook if a yellow ribboned-dog still launches to attack a passerby. In fact, those attacked by dogs may have even more of a right to sue because the owner knew that the dog was a safety risk and still brought the animal out in public.

Dog bite liability is an issue that is taken up by the state governments. In some states, strict liability is imposed on a dog owner in the event that his or her pet bites a victim. This means that the owner is liable to pay for the medical expenses affiliated with the attack and any other costs that the victim accumulates as a result of the accident. In many states, owners cannot argue that they tried to prevent the person from being attacked. Even if a dog owner was unaware that his or her animal could be dangerous, this person may still be held liable for all expenses.

In some states, there is not strict liability, and the courts handle dog bite cases on a case-by-case basis. This means that in most cases, the owner will only be held responsible for the dog's actions if the owner was aware of the fact that the animal was dangerous or had the propensity to be dangerous. In states that take this position, the courts will look at the breed of the dog, whether or not the dog is trained, the age of the dog, the dog's former patterns of behavior, and the dog's propensity to be violent. The courts may also look at the gender of the dog, as about 92% of all dog attacks are by male dogs and 94% of all dogs are not neutered.

Many of the victims of dog attacks each year are young children. The American Human Society says that 50% of all dog attacks involve children that are under the age of 12, and 82% of all dog bites that are treated in emergency rooms involve a child that is 15 or under. The most at-risk individuals are unsupervised newborns that may end up near a dog. 65% of all children who are attacked by a dog suffer bites to the head and neck. IN general, most individuals also have bites to the extremities, such as arms and legs. If you want more information about dog bites or if you were injured by a dog bite and want to seek compensation from the party responsible call an attorney at a local firm to help you today!