In Mattapan, Massachusetts, an off-duty Boston police dog attacked a woman who was walking her Chihuahua-like pet on Wednesday. The Boston dog bite incident occurred when the police dog ran away from its handler and went after the tinier dog.
As the little dog’s 60-year-old owner tried to protect it, the Boston police dog bit her in the stomach, face, and leg. She was taken by ambulance to Boston Medical Center where she was treated for superficial wounds and her leg was stitched up.
Boston Police Superintendent William Evans says they will look into why the police dog got loose.
Dog Bites
Dog attack injuries can be serious injuries-depending on the size of the dog and type of bite inflicted on the victim. Common kinds of Massachusetts dog attack injuries include:
• Puncture wounds • Cuts • Abrasions • Tissue injuries • Sprains • Rabies or other infections • Crush injuries • Fractured bones • Facial injuries • Sprains • Permanent disfigurement • Facial disfigurement
• Scarring • Deformity • Death
A dog attack can be very traumatic for the victim, who may become afraid of dogs or suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Symptoms may include nervousness, depression, and seemingly irrationally fears. A dog bite victim may become scared to leave the house for fear of becoming the victim of another dog attack.
While some dog bite injuries are surface wounds, a dog mauling can also lead to serious, painful, and/or disfiguring injuries that can take a long time to recover from and may require extensive, expensive medical care. Some dog bite scars may be permanent and could seriously impair a person’s self-esteem, social life, and personality.
The state of Massachusetts has strict liability laws when it comes to holding a dog owner liable for injuries sustained by a victim during a Boston dog attack.
Police dog attacks woman in Mattapan, Boston.com, July 22, 2009
K-9 attacks Mattapan woman, Boston Herald, July 22, 2009
Related Web Resources:
So Your Child Wants a Dog, CDC
Liability for damage caused by dog; minors; presumption and burden of proof, Massachusetts General Laws
Contact our Boston dog bite lawyers today.