Dogs have been man’s best friend for a long time, but unfortunately, not every single dog loves every single human. Sometimes when dogs are sick, scared, or aggressive, they can attack humans and bite them while they’re out and about walking around in the neighborhood. A dog bite can cause anything from a flesh wound to severe injuries or possibly even rabies if the dog isn’t up-to-date on its shots.
It’s easier to get compensation for treatment for a dog bite if you know who the owners are (the dog was on a leash when it bit you, or you were in the person’s home when the dog bit you), but if you have been bitten by a dog who is loose or appears to be a stray, it may be difficult to find out who the dog belongs to—although it’s certainly not impossible.
Here’s what to do if you have been bitten by a dog whose owner isn’t around.
FIRST, SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY
If you or a loved one have been bitten by a dog, the first thing to do is to seek medical attention immediately just in case the dog that bit you has rabies. You’ll need to get a rabies shot immediately to prevent an infection from starting, which can quickly spread to the spinal cord and brain if left untreated. Death from rabies is extremely rare because of such high access to the rabies shot, but attention should be given just in case.
TAKE A PICTURE OF THE DOG
When you are bitten by a dog whose owners aren’t around, the best thing to do to help identify the owner is to take a picture of the dog. The more details and the more pictures you can provide of the dog (or even information taken off the dog’s tag), the better.
If you were bitten by a dog in your neighborhood, ask your neighbors if they have seen this dog and know who it belongs to.
OBTAIN WITNESS INFORMATION
If you were bitten by a dog and there were witnesses, be sure to ask them what they know about the dog or if they noticed the dog being aggressive with you. The more information that you can get about the dog, the easier it will be to help you find the owners so that you can try to seek compensation for any medical bills associated with the incident.
GO TO THE POLICE
Finally, go to the police and have them take down a report about the incident. Describe the dog and show any pictures that you have. It’s possible that if the dog was aggressive with you, then it may have been aggressive with others, which will be helpful for police to know.
Have you or a loved one been bitten by a dog in Georgia? Did the dog attack cause a lot of injuries and possibly hospitalization? You don’t have to face the challenge of pursuing legal action alone. Contact the Fry | Goehring at (404) 948-3571. We can help you pursue compensation and understand your rights.
