JENKINTOWN PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS

Children encounter dogs in a variety of settings in the Philadelphia area—at home, at a family member’s home, at a friend’s house, at a neighbor’s house, or when spending time outdoors. When someone tells us that a dog is good with children, we may let down our guard and not be as vigilant as we should be about supervising the interaction between the child and the dog.

In order to prevent a Philadelphia dog bite, children should be taught to respect dogs and to behave kindly towards them.  They should not climb on them, poke at them, or pull on their ears, paws, or tail. Even a gentle dog that appears to tolerate children may suddenly lose patience and bite. Dogs typically issue a warning before they bite, but the signs are subtle and may be easy to miss. Following are some signs that a dog is not enjoying the interaction with a child:

• The dog looks pleadingly at an adult as though asking for help
• The dog turns its face away, attempts to move away, or hides under furniture
• The dog suddenly begins licking, scratching, or biting itself
• The dog yawns or licks its chops
• The dog shakes its body as though it is wet after a child stops touching it

If a dog exhibits any of the signs listed above when interacting with a child, adults should take the warning seriously and remove the child from the situation. If the worst happens and you or your child suffers a serious dog bite injury, a Philadelphia dog bite lawyer at Mednick, Mezyk, and Kredo can help. Call us today at 888-807-9675 for a free case consultation; you will be glad you did.