Dog Bites 17-Month-Old Toddler
A 17-month-old girl from Salina, KS was bitten for a second time by her family’s pet dog. The pet Labrador was released to an animal shelter where they are keeping it under observation. The shelter coordinator Rose Base stated she believed the incident occurred because neither the dog nor the child was properly supervised. This is the third report that the shelter has received from the family. The first incident occurred when the family’s previous dog bit somebody else. In that incident, the family released the dog to the same animal shelter as in this incident. The dog was held at a vet’s office for 10 days and later received a vaccination for rabies.
The coordinator at the animal shelter raised an important point in this report; it is extremely important to maintain proper supervision when a child under the age of 10 years old is in close proximity to any dog. A child can very easily provoke an attack and the dog will be quick to defend itself. People always want to believe that their dog will understand the difference between an intruder or stranger and their owner’s family. However, the fact is dogs are unable to make that distinction. If a dog senses that they are being threatened in any way; purposely or otherwise, they will attack in self-defense because that is their instinct. This is true for family members or strangers alike.
