California Girl Suffers Severe Dog Bite Injuries While Visiting a Shelter

 Posted on June 03, 2019 in Dog Bites

While most dogs live up to their reputation as “man’s best friend,” it is important to remember that some dogs do pose a danger to people. Dogs who have been bred and trained for the purposes of fighting or guarding can be especially vicious animals. According to the California Department of Public Health, nearly 80 percent of all the animal bite injuries that took place in California between 2006 and 2010 were caused by domestic dogs. Across the country, about 750,000 dog bite victims require medical care each year. When a dog bites another person because the owner of the dog was negligent, the owner can be held liable for any damages caused by the bite.

Young Girl Brutally Mauled by Akita While Visiting Kennel

Recently, a 7-year-old girl was severely injured after she was attacked by a dog at a nonprofit Akita rescue kennel in Romoland, California. The attack was so brutal that the young girl needed an astounding 1,000 stitches and three hours of surgery. Because the bites were primarily to her face, it is possible that the girl will be permanently disfigured as a result of the bites. Disturbingly, the dog was listed on the nonprofit’s Facebook page as looking for “a kid he can play with.”

What makes this story even worse is that this attack is not the first one which has occurred at the kennel. In fact, animal service officers discovered that five other serious dog bite incidents involving dogs from this kennel have occurred since 2013. Because of the severity of this most recent attack, law enforcement officers are seeking a destruction order for the Akita who mauled the young girl. 

Strict Liability Dog Bite Law in California

Laws regarding dog bites vary from state to state. California is a strict liability state when it comes to dog bite claims. This means that the owner of a dog does not need to know that the dog is aggressive or capable of biting someone in order to be held legally responsible for damage his or her dog does during a biting attack. In some states, an owner is only liable for bite injuries if he knows that the dog has bitten before.

If you or a loved one have suffered injury due to a dog bite in California, you do not need to prove that the owner knew the dog was aggressive in order to pursue financial compensation. You will only need to show that you were in a place that you were permitted to be and that you did not instigate or provoke the dog.

Contact a Santa Clara County Personal Injury Lawyer

To learn more about pursuing compensation after a dog bite injury, contact a San Jose dog bite attorney. Schedule a free consultation at The Law Office of John J. Garvey, III today by calling 408-293-7777.

Sources:

https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2019/05/31/7-year-old-girl-needed-1-000-stitches-face-after-dog-attack/1303756001/

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/InvestigationManagementandPreventionofAnimalBitesinCA.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1067642/