In yet another brutal dog attack, a Malibu resident was recently chased down and mauled by two large dogs while walking her own dog along the shoreline of a local beach.
The victim suffered significant injuries to her leg and face, receiving approximately 60 stitches. She suffered six wounds in all, one that penetrated all the way through muscle to the bone on the back of her leg, and which caused loss of skin and will require reconstructive surgery.
Eventually, a passer-by beat the dogs off the injured party with a tennis racquet.
The fate of the dogs and their owners remains confidential, though the victim asserts this could have all been prevented if the people had their dogs leashed and muzzled.
After the fact, the recovering Malibu resident was told that, in the instance of a dog attack, one should contort into a fetal-like position, in order to protect the throat, eyes and neck.
Although the resident, who chose to remain anonymous, was unsure as to whether protection is possible if the situation were to occur again.
“The bottom line is, when it comes the time for something to happen, you go into shock. You just freeze,” said the victim.
This recent attack is one of many that have occurred this past year. A fatal dog attack occurred in Oakland, Calif. in June, leaving its 10-year-old male victim with two ears torn off and severe bite wounds on his face, arms and upper body. Dogs bite an estimated 4.7 million people in the United States each year, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Children are the most common victims of severe dog bites, while approximately 2,500 victims are mail carriers.
Such dog-maulings raise pertinent questions and concerns about training dogs that are prone to attack other dogs and their human owners.
And with the arrival of summer, it also the prime time for taking man’s best friend out into the public for summer outings, officials say.
Sgt. Frank Bongiorno from the Agoura Animal Shelter, which also serves as animal control for the Malibu community, said the time around the Fourth of July is one of the busiest times of the year where calls reporting stray dogs and attacks are at a peak.
Though it all depends on the situation, Bongiorno claims that often owners of unattended dogs will simply receive a citation for a leash law violation with the maximum fine running up to $250. The average fine in Malibu, according to Bongiorno, is approximately $50.
In the event of an attack and proof of a bite, the owner can be issued a misdemeanor ticket.
In order to avoid such an attack, Bongiorno cautions against petting any animal you are not familiar with [because] it might bite out of fear. Owners of canines can curb hostile behavior by looking into obedience training, advised Bongiorno.
Carlos Banuelos, of the Canyon View Training Ranch for Dogs in Topanga Canyon, who specializes in abused and abandon dogs, concurs with Bongiorno, in saying that training can always help.
Aggressive or belligerent behavior amongst dogs is caused by a series of factors, said Banuelos. Being improperly socialized amongst other humans and dogs or having a natural defensive or fearful behavior can all serve as contributors to hostile behavior. Banuelos has worked with dogs that have been involved in attacks in socialization training.
Although a puppy at four months old is about the premium time to start obedience training, Banuelos said that older dogs are not at all difficult to train.
At home, Banuelos said to start socializing the puppy at a young age, by getting it used to noise and places in which there are a lot of people and stimuli.