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.
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 whomever 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
I have always placed a great deal of emphasis using findings from studies published in the animal behavior literature in formulating opinions as a dog bite expert. Thus, I read with interestRead More
Hospitalizations and emergency room visits by people bitten by a dog have increased markedly in recent years, according to new dog bite statistics published on the website maintained by theRead 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
Research has demonstrated that people living in areas areas of low socioeconomic status are bitten and attacked by dogs more frequently than people in neighborhoods of greater affluence. This in part promptedRead 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
A July 2016 dog bite incident involving a retired police K-9 in Riverside, California provides another example illustrating the potentially dangerous and unpredictable nature of canines trained for suspect apprehension byRead More
More people in Texas are killed by dogs than any other state in the United States. In a previous post, I have offered reasons for this which I believe in part mayRead More
