It's a scary thing to think about--but if you came
face-to-face with an aggressive dog, would you know what to do?
What if a loved one was a victim? Would you know how to help?
Newschannel 3's Erica Mokay is sharing some
potentially life-saving lessons in tonight's special report.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
estimates half of all children 14 and younger have been bitten by a dog.
And in 2016, a report from State Farm Insurance
shows Michigan came in 6th for the most dog bite claims.
So we're asking: how would you react?
The dogs you will see are well trained, competitive dogs, and
are taught to do these bite demonstrations.
Would you know what to do, if man's best friend
becomes the enemy?
"Running will almost always incite a dog to
come after you," said Steve Lawrence, Director of Kalamazoo Animal
Services and Enforcement.
If you are approached by an aggressive dog, fight
the instinct to run. And ideally, try to de-escalate the situation.
"Dont panic," said Jeremy Kline, with Full
Force K9. "Back away slowly; try to get something between you and and that
dog and leave the area."
No matter where you are, these animal experts say
you should always being thinking about the unthinkable.
Newschannel 3 asked Kline to take us through some
scenarios.
If you find yourself on the ground, caught between
the teeth of an aggressive dog, knowledge and staying calm can be life-saving.
Of course, these are controlled demonstrations.
Reality is much different. And we're working with professional handlers and
well trained dogs.
If you know a bite is coming, and putting something
between you and the dog isn't an option,
Kline says put up an arm, protect your vitals, and
try your best to be still.
"Make it boring for them--if there's no
reaction in it, most likely, they're going to lose interest and they're going
to let go if you can't fight them off," he said.
Keep in mind, every bite or attack is situational
and you may have to fight back.
In that case, grab for the neck, collar, or leash,
in an effort to close the dog's airway. That'll also allow you to gain control,
if the dog lets go.
The same goes if you need to help someone else.
If you can't distract the dog from the victim,
again, pull back on it's neck or legs, and keep calling for help.
"There's not one answer--there are too many
variables on the size of the dog, size of the victim, and what kind of drive
that dog is in at that time," Kline said.
It's a scary thought for a terrifying situation.
To prove our point, we had Erica put on the bite
suit.
For an untrained person, even in a controlled
environment and layers of protection, fear, adrenaline, and pain can take over.
It really was scary.
Dog bites or attacks are usually the result of a dog
being provoked or startled.
Remember, both animal experts we spoke to say
prevention and situational awareness are always best.
0 comments:
Post a Comment