Children are especially vulnerable to dog attacks.
1-year-old Boy Hospitalized in Critical Condition Following Dog Mauling at Converse Home
Update (October 8, 2024): The infant died of his injuries at the hospital on Monday evening.
According to a KSAT News report, an infant boy was mauled by dogs this morning.
The BSCO reported the incident happened at a home on the 9700 block of Spruce Ridge Drive near Converse on October 7th. The infant was reportedly left lying on a bed with the bedroom door shut when he was attacked by two of the three family dogs at a babysitter’s home, which burst down the door to reach the infant. A thirteen-year-old girl, unrelated to the infant, intervened and escaped to another bedroom after the infant had been attacked. The boy suffered multiple bites to the head, arms, neck, and face and was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center for treatment in critical condition. The woman who was babysitting the child was arrested and charged with injury to a child with serious bodily injury by omission, and the dogs were removed from the home. Sheriff Salazar reported that the owners had been cited in an incident with the dogs previously, and the woman seemed to show little concern for the infant as she objected to the dogs being removed.
Did You Know?
51% of dog bite victims in the U.S. are children.
How to Protect Your Child from a Dog Bite in San Antonio
Dog bites are a frequent occurrence in San Antonio.
Children are especially vulnerable to serious injury from a dog attack. They are lower to the ground, slower, and often don’t know how to properly behave around dogs, making them prime targets for an attack.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect your child from a dog bite that may save their life in critical moments.
Critical Safety Skills for Kids
Any dog can bite and will bite if the situation is right.
To keep your kids safe, teach them these critical safety skills:
- Never approach a wandering dog — Even if they’re cute, wandering dogs can be aggressive and/or carry disease.
- Stay calm — If a wandering dog approaches you, stay calm and hold still or back up slowly.
- Don’t run away from or towards a dog — Running can trigger hunting instincts and fight or flight responses in dogs. Walk, don’t run when meeting or leaving a dog.
- Make a cushion — Place something between you and an attacking dog, or remove an article of clothing (jacket, shoe, etc.) to distract an attacking dog.
- Curl up — If a dog knocks you over, curl into a ball, cover your face, and lie still.
3 Steps to Take If a Dog Bites Your Child
Your child can do everything right and still be bitten by an aggressive dog.
If someone else’s dog bites your child, follow these steps:
- Seek Medical Attention — Either call 9-1-1 or take them to the ER to get checked out. Some bites are worse than they appear and cause serious infections that must be treated by a medical professional. Stop any major bleeding with a clean cloth while waiting for help.
- Find the Dog’s Owner — Get the contact info and address of the dog’s owner, and determine if the dog is up to date on their shots. Inform the doctor if the dog is behind on shots.
- Report the Accident to ACS — Call 3-1-1 to report the accident to ACS. This is important so that a record of the accident exists and can be tracked in case the dog shows a pattern of aggression.
Child Bitten by a Dog in San Antonio? Call Shaw.
If your child was bitten by someone else’s dog, you may be entitled to compensation for things like:
- Ambulance Costs,
- ER Treatment,
- Surgeries,
- Medical Bills,
- Pain and Suffering,
- Disfigurement,
- Trauma/PTSD,
- Wrongful Death,
- And More.
We’ll help you find out if you have a case for free.
Call Shaw at 800-862-1260 to schedule a consultation with one of our child injury attorneys to review your case. No fees, no obligations, just expert legal advice. We look forward to serving you.