Earlier this month the San Diego County District Attorney’s office announced that a man would be charged for his role in an incident where two pit bulls under his control viciously attacked a family who was jogging on a trail in Valley Center. The pit bulls mauled two young men, who sustained serious injuries from the dog bites.
The man, who was allegedly watching a friend’s pit bulls, will be charged with two counts of failing to restrain a dog and two counts of failing to protect the public from dogs. Both charges are misdemeanors, and the man could face up to one year in jail and a fine of $2,000 if convicted.
Fortunately, San Diego County is getting serious about animal attacks and doing what they can to control the problem of vicious animals inflicting injuries on innocent bystanders. In the past couple years there have been at least four deaths caused by dog attacks. Among those deaths, two of the victims were small children and one was an elderly woman. In addition, there were nearly 3,000 dog bites reported in San Diego County last year alone.
Luckily, the two men in this case were able to fend off the dogs and prevent further injuries, but they may still have disfiguring wounds and emotional trauma to recover from the terrifying event.
A person who is attacked by a dog or other domestic animal may be able to collect damages from the animal’s owner or caretaker, including compensation for medical expenses. People in San Diego shouldn’t have to live in fear of being attacked by vicious animals in public places, and those that are should seek the help of an experienced personal injury attorney to obtain the compensation they deserve.
Source: Scoop San Diego, “DA Files Charges in Dog Mauling Case,” Sept. 6, 2012
