What to do if bitten by a dog? We analyze the situation from the side of the victim and the owner

About 20 thousand people in Belarus annually turn to doctors after being bitten by animals. Sometimes there are stories with shocking endings. A recent example is the agro-town of Kovaly, Bobruisk district, where an alabai killed a woman. Why Do Dogs Show Unexpected Aggression? Is it possible to receive financial compensation from their owners? Let's try to figure it out with the experts.

Keeping a dog is a big responsibility, especially when it comes to potentially dangerous breeds - in Belarus this list includes four dozen.

- Recently, it is popular to take a dog "out of pity." However, at the same time, people forget that a dog needs not only to be fed, treated and walked with it, but also to be trained, otherwise it potentially becomes dangerous for others, - says Irina Azen, an expert in the International category for exterior and dog training. - A person should clearly understand for what purposes he takes a dog, since there are no universal breeds. The yagd terrier will not play with the child, and the Newfoundland will guard the yard. Choosing a dog, you need to objectively evaluate your own capabilities. For example, in a city apartment you should not start a Caucasian Shepherd Dog. Before you take a puppy, think about how satisfied you are with the behavior of his parents, do not buy a pet whose character already needs to be adjusted. If a person is not a professional cynologist, You should not take into the house of adult aggressive dogs. An amateur, most likely, will not succeed in changing the behavior of a pet, and there will be many problems.

What to do if the owner noticed aggression from the pet?

- If the problem has gone too far, you will need the help of a professional. But before choosing a trainer, be sure to ask if he has his own trained dog, - suggests an extra-class expert who has been dealing with dogs since 1977.

Irina Azen notes that she saw statistics somewhere: in 90% of cases when a dog attacks a person, the victim himself is to blame.

- Why does he approach an animal sitting behind a fence or tied in the yard? In both cases, the dog will protect the territory in which it is located. That is its essence. I do not advise passers-by to go into the yard if there is a dog running around. Do not approach a tied dog, you do not need to stroke unfamiliar four-legged animals without first asking the owner's permission. And, of course, it is better to avoid officially designated dog walking areas, even if there is a path there.

According to the specialist, unreasonable aggression most often indicates that the animal is unhealthy, so you should contact your veterinarian.

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There is no cure for rabies

Dogs can carry dangerous infectious diseases, including rabies. Transmitted by the bite of an infected animal, it occurs with severe damage to the NERVOUS SYSTEM and leads to death. According to WHO, it is dogs that cause rabies in 99% of cases.

- Owners are required to vaccinate their pets older than three months against rabies every year. It is more convenient to do this in late winter - early spring. In this case, by the season of trips to nature, the animal will have time to form immunity , - says Anastasia Ioskevich, an epidemiologist at the Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology of the Leninsky District of MINSK. - One of the measures to prevent the disease is a careful attitude towards animals. Never tease the dog, do not shout at it, do not swing, do not provoke aggression. You can not sneak up on the dog, make sudden movements, suddenly and loudly turn to his owner. Do not try to give commands to the dog - by doing so, you are claiming the place of the owner, whom she protects. Any contact with unfamiliar and wild animals should generally be avoided.

According to the specialist, a change in the pet's behavior, disheveledness, spasm of the swallowing muscles (it seems that the animal choked on something), fear of water (hydrophobia) indicate the need to contact the veterinarians. At the same time, try not to come into contact with the animal.

- If the dog nevertheless bit you, scratched you, its saliva got on the skin or mucous membranes, it is important to wash the wound intensively with soap, preferably household soap, as soon as possible. It is necessary to wash off as much saliva as possible, the DOCTOR advises. - Deep wounds should be washed with a stream of soapy water from a syringe or douche. Trying to suck out contaminated saliva and blood from a wound should not be done - this puts the caregiver at risk. It is also not necessary to cauterize the wound. Put a sterile dressing on it and contact the clinic at the place of residence or the emergency department of the nearest hospital.

The bitten animal is placed in a 10-day quarantine . If it is infected with rabies, it is euthanized.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for rabies. A sick person with symptoms can no longer be saved, medical care is to alleviate his condition, - states Anastasia Ioskevich. - The only effective way to prevent rabies infection is rabies vaccination . If the doctor prescribes a course of injections, you need to start it without delay, without missing a single injection. For preventive purposes, vaccinations are given to people who are at risk and have frequent and prolonged contact with animals. After the last vaccination, immunity against rabies is developed on the 14th day after the last injection.

Compensation for bites

For the first time in Belarus, a guilty verdict for biting a person with a dog was handed down 12 years ago. Then the Staffordshire Terrier bit the child so that he almost lost his sight, and his face was torn to shreds. The bleeding boy was saved by a neighbor. The child underwent two operations, including plastic surgery. The owner of the Stafford was found guilty under Art. 155 of the Criminal Code "Infliction of grievous or less grievous bodily injury by negligence." They awarded a fine of 15 million rubles (about 5 thousand dollars. - Ed.) - for moral damage and full compensation for material damage. By the way, the hostess did not wear a muzzle on the dog, although she has repeatedly shown aggression towards people.

Today, dog bite victims are increasingly turning to the courts for moral damages and monetary compensation, and therefore such legal proceedings are no longer a precedent. Two years ago, in the village of Zhitkovo, Borisov district, a dog without a leash and a muzzle bit a five-year-old baby. The mother and son spent about two weeks in the hospital. By a COURT decision, 25,000 rubles were recovered from the defendant as monetary compensation for non-pecuniary damage.

In May last year, in the agro-town of Bobovichi, Gomel district, an alabai walking without a leash and a muzzle bit a man on the legs and attacked his dog. The victim was taken to the hospital. According to him, he was so frightened that he practically stopped sleeping. I had to be treated on an outpatient basis for a long time, and after the healing of lacerations, scars remained on my legs. At the same time, I had to improve the HEALTH of the pet, having spent considerable sums in the veterinary clinic. By the decision of the court of the Gomel district, the owner of the alabai was charged with compensation for moral damage - 5 thousand rubles, as compensation for material damage - almost 260 rubles.

In all the above examples, the dogs were domestic, which means that the owners bear the blame for their actions. In summer, people spend a lot of time outdoors, the risk of meeting an aggressive dog is much higher than at other times of the year. And therefore it is necessary to remember: firstly, that God protects the safe, and secondly, that we are responsible for those whom we have tamed.

Memo from the international dog training expert Irina Azen

Before you get a large dog to guard an apartment or house, think about how you will ensure the safe coexistence of the animal and others. Will the pets cope with the pet if you go on a business trip, are there places for walking the dog and time for training.

· In your house you need to build an aviary - durable and well-closing.

· If you plan to let the dog into the yard alone, then the area should be fenced with a fence that she cannot jump over or crawl under it.

· In the city limits, your pet must be on a leash, except for walking areas. It is on a leash, and not on a tape measure - it does not make it possible to control the dog.

It is forbidden to walk dogs to owners in a state ofalcohol intoxication .

Do not let children under the age of 16 walk large dogs.

| Elena NIKOLAEVA, newspaper "7 days", photo by BelTA.

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