Dog bites are a serious health problem. There are approximately 5 million victims in the USA per year. Most of them are children. For an overview of Attorney Kenneth Phillips' 10-step plan for reducing dog bites:
“BSL,” Out! Welcome “PSL”! - People Specific Laws to Reduce Dog Bites
For details about his 10-step plan:
- Require dog safety education in schools
- Force dog owners to have insurance that would compensate dog bite victims
- Give to potential new owners specific information about dogs and breeds
- Enact laws that will take dangerous dogs off the streets
- Criminalize the failure to stop a dog attack
- Get rid of the one bite law
- Enact leash laws and dog-trespass laws
- Enforce the laws that prohibit dog fighting
- Keep certain high-risk breeds away from the wrong people, places and situations
- Support further research about dog attacks
- Where to get more information about prevention
Also see Attorney Kenneth M. Phillips' opinion article, Badly Written and Misinterpreted Laws: Part of the Dog Bite Problem.
