The Larger, More Vicious Breeds of Dogs Inflict the Most Damage in a Dog Bite Scenario

Interviewer: What would you say are the most dangerous dogs around?

Richard Sailer: The most frequent is probably the smaller dogs but the more significant that do the most harm would be the larger breeds and more vicious breeds—they’ll be the Pit Bulls, the Rottweilers, and the German Shepherds because they can do the most damage thus causing the most significant injuries. However, in sheer volume of dog bites, it’s probably the smaller dogs.  I probably get calls 5 to 1 people being bit by smaller animals that nip at your cuff versus the vicious attacks where people are mauled and dragged at a ground by a larger animal.

 

An Attack by a Cat would be Handled in a Similar Fashion to a Dog Bite Case

Interviewer: How would a case be handled if there was a cat attack?

Richard Sailer: I have not personally handled a cat attack but the same thing would happen if you’re attacked by a cat—the owner of the cat would be responsible.  It may be a little bit more difficult in terms of identifying the ownership of a cat because they tend to move around a lot, so that may present some difficulty.

 

It is Quite Possible to Be Bitten by an Animal More than Once in a Lifetime

Interviewer: Can an animal bite situation happen twice or more to a person?

Richard Sailer: Yes, it might happen especially in a situation if you have a bite as a child and you’ve got the rest of your life to live with just the odds of that happening again. I don’t know necessarily that any individual is more or less likely to be bit by a dog or a cat for that matter.  On the other hand, if I were to quantify the frequency of which somebody would be bit, I would say it more has to do with occupation. I’ve had mailmen that have been bitten two and three and four times because of their occupation and route.  If you’re in a route that has a lot of dogs on it, you’re more inclined to be bitten.  Additionally, if you’re out there on the street every day, it might be more with the amount of potential contact you have with animals versus anything specific to an individual.

 

Useful Advice for Dog Owners in the State of California

Interviewer: Are there any preventative measures that you would want to give to a dog owner?

Richard Sailer: As a dog owner, I would make sure that you have a sturdy fence and you have a gate latch that works.  A lot of times we’ll see dog owners think they’re doing everything right—  they’ve got a good sturdy fence but they’ve got an insufficient latch on the fence and that’s how the dog gets out. Moreover, the dog might jump against the gate, the gate opens, and the dog gets out and then attacks someone. Therefore, I think good fences, good latches, and good training of their animal are the most effective way of preventing this.