How YouTube Might Reduce Encinitas Dog Bite Injuries

When Encinitas residents think about ways to reduce the rate of dog bite injuries and animal attacks, they will likely think about types of both animal and human behavior. However, there are other ways to assess dog bite incidents and to find new ways to reduce serious attacks, particularly among young children. According to a recent article in Tech Times, researchers are turning to YouTube videos in order to study dog attacks and, ultimately, to prevent dog bite injuries.

Can YouTube Provide Information About Dog Attacks?

It is often difficult for researchers to study dog bites by observing the behavior of the dog during the attack. After all, these incidents happen quickly, and the victims rarely have photographic evidence of them. However, dog attacks do often get filmed by witnesses, and many of those videos end up on YouTube. As the article explains, researchers have turned to YouTube in order to “conduct direct observation and analyses of dog bites.”

While most researchers up to this point have relied on dog attack evidence that was collected after the incident—such as interviews with the victims or a study of the victim’s hospital records—videos on YouTube may “provide a better understanding of why bites happen, which can contribute to the development of strategies for preventing bites.” Why is it so important to find new ways of preventing dog bite injuries? Dog bites occur more often in California than in most other states, and children often are the victims of these attacks.

Recent Dog Bite Injuries in Southern California

Two recent dog attacks in Southern California should put parents on notice about the particular risks of dog bite injuries in young children. A recent report in the Patch describes an incident in early June in which a 5-year-old hound mix attacked a 4-year-old girl, sending the child to the hospital. According to reports, the child had to receive emergency treatment after the dog “charged the girl.” Witnesses indicated that the attack was “unprovoked” and occurred while the child was near the porch on her grandfather’s property. The dog belonged to her grandfather. In many dog attack cases, the dog is known to the victim—either the dog is part of the victim’s family or belongs to a friend or family member. The dog bit the child multiple times.

Shortly thereafter, two Rottweiler dogs attacked a mother and a toddler while the mother was pushing a stroller with the child inside. According to a report from NBC News, the mother had been pushing a stroller with her 2-year-old child inside in the early morning “when two female Rottweilers escaped their backyard kennel, jumped multiple gates, and ran toward the family.” The report indicated that “both dogs began biting the toddler on his head, face, and arm as he sat in the stroller.” Both the mother and the child suffered severe injuries, and the child is expected to require surgery.

Contact an Encinitas Dog Bite Attorney

Was your child attacked by a dog? You should discuss your case with an Encinitas dog bite attorney as soon as you can. Contact the Walton Law Firm for more information.

See Related Blog Posts: Dog Bites and Anxious Victims in San Marcos What Should Vista Residents Know About Dog Bites?

(image courtesy of Duffy Brook)