A blog for attorneys & dog bite victims by animal behavior expert, Richard Polsky, PhD. The dog bite injury blog was created to report current news about injury caused to people as a result of being attacked by a canine. An animal behavior perspective is used. Stories for inclusion have been carefully chosen based on where the incident happened, the breed of dog involved, the nature of the injury, legal implications, and whether a canine fatality occurred.
Q. Dr. Polsky: I understand that you are a canine expert witness on dog bites. I am contacting you because my parents recently adopted an 18-month-old male Bernese Mountain dogRead More
A dog bites child incident a Southwest flight in Arizona raises new questions about dog bite safety. Below, I opine about an incident that happened on a Southwest flight departingRead More
The owner of two adults pit bulls will likely face criminal charges in California as a result of her her dogs brutally attacking an elderly man and his Jack Russell Terrier onRead More
Cane corso fatal dog attacks on people in the United States happen at disproportionately high rates. I have reviewed some of these instances in previous posts on this website. Not surprisingly,Read More
DNA analysis is the standard in canine forensics when the identity of dogs involved in a fatal dog attack is uncertain. DNA analysis is nearly 100% accurate provided the forensic evidence (blood,hair,Read More
Approximately 30-40 fatal dog attacks on people are recorded each year in the United States. Most animal behavior experts believe that the majority of these instances are highly preventable. ThisRead More
Behavioral screening is absolutely necessary to ensure that a dog can be safely adopted. This code of conduct applies to whoever is trying to adopt a dog, whether it be a privateRead More
In this post, I will discuss the value of using expert opinion from an animal behaviorist in dog bite litigation, specifically focusing on the states of Arizona and California. Read More
Any dog in California seized from an illegal fighting ring in California will no longer be considered inherently vicious according to recently enacted legislation. A welcomed new law, California Assembly Bill #1825, was approved andRead More
In dog bite lawsuits the doctrine of assumption of risk may be used to limit the liability of the defendant. The doctrine states that the plaintiff assumes the risk ofRead More
