Posted On:
April 20, 2010
My Child Was Bitten by a Dog - What do I do Now?
If your child is bitten by a dog in St. Louis, it is easy to fall into a state of panic. However, it is extremely important to maintain your composure and take immediate, decisive action. Learn the following steps from Doggone Safe, so that if your child is attacked by a dog, you will be prepared.
- Immediately attend to the St. Louis child dog bite victim. However, you should ensure that other people do not remain in danger from the same dog while you attend to the injured person.
- Tell other children and passing bystanders to remain very still and quiet if the offending dog is still in the area.
- Because animal bites can easily become infected, you should take the victim to a doctor if the skin was broken.
- Report the bite to your local health department. It is important to determine if the dog has had its vaccinations. Regardless of your relationship with the dog owner, it is essential to take this step, as your child’s safety is paramount.
- Report the bite to your local animal services department - even if there was no serious injury. It is crucial that a searchable record be established so that one can determine if a given dog has a history of attacks.
- Report the bite to police - inform the police of the details of the attack, and they will be in a position to decide whether the event warrants further investigation.
- If other unsupervised children remain in danger because of the dog, report the situation to your local children's services agency so that they can investigate and take action if required.
- If you or your child is fearful or otherwise seem disturbed in the days or weeks following the incident, consider contacting a trauma counselor.
- If your dog was the biter, confine the dog and report the incident to your local animal control department.
- If you feel that you need information about legal issues related to the bite incident, please contact the Missouri dog bite tort law attorneys at Page Law for a free consultation. If you or your child has been attacked by a dog, call (314) 322-8515 to speak with one of our experienced lawyers.
