Dog Bite Awareness

When I was at Bellevue Hospital training in plastic surgery, I saw a number of severe dog bites. The most memorable was a 9 year old boy who was playing with a neighbor's pet - a dog very familiar to the child from extensive previous contact. Without provocation, the dog (a german shep) attacked the boy, resulting in severe facial lacerations and multiple facial fractures. The teeth actually crushed the bones of the midface. This led me to study dog bites in New York, which I discovered were events that all physicians are supposed to report to the Dept of Health. We are now entering the time of year when dog bites are most common, according to the study data. Children are the most common victims, and the face and extremities are the most common sites of injury. Certain breeds are frequent offenders, even when properly raised and known to the victim. A reporter from the New York Post called me about the article yesterday, so it has been on my mind. I hope that some more publicity stimulates public support for: breed-specific legislation, leash laws, criminal prosecution for violations that result in injury, as well as more public education initiatives about precautions and proper breeding. I'm considering posting some photos of dog bite injuries in the next few days.