Dog Bite Law Blog

The Tragic Ripple Effect of a Serious Dog Attack - So Many Suffer With and For the Victim

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Created on Thursday, 09 October 2008 16:37

Most of the victims of serious dog attacks are children. All of these kids have mothers and fathers. When their children suffer, so do their parents -- sometimes becoming overwhelmed by it.

Recently in England, a young mother whose baby was killed went out drinking with her best friend, got in an argument with her, and the women began fighting. The mother of the deceased child grabbed scissors and began slashing at her friend, who received numerous cuts, including a serious wound on her face. When this was heard in court, it was disclosed that the mother was seriously distraught because of her baby's death, had never been offered counseling, and even the injured friend had forgiven her for the scissor attack. The defendant therefore was given supervised probation for two years with a one-year suspended sentence. (For the article, click here.)

Most of my clients are children. As I deal with their parents, I see that they have strong and often extreme feelings of grief, sadness, guilt and depression about what the dogs did to their kids. These are natural reactions but it nevertheless is heartbreaking to witness the ripple effect of a serious dog attack.