When Pets Attack: Five Ways To Avoid A Pet Attack

     When we think of pets we probably think about man's best friend -the dog. Some of us may also think about cats, parrots, horses, cows, pigs, burros, fish, snakes, alligators, insects, spiders, lizards and many other animals which people keep as pets. We often think of pets as our friends and companions. Some people go to extremes and take in lions, tigers, elephants, alligators, sharks, and dangerous snakes as pets. They may allow them in their home and into their bed.

Every once in a while you may hear about someone that makes the news after surviving a vicious pet attack. Many pet attacks can be prevented. There are simple things that can be done to prevent animal attacks.

1. The easiest way to prevent pet attacks is to not adopt wild animals. Wild animals are wild and will remain wild. Wild animals cannot be domesticated by just raising the wild animal at home. Most serious injuries occur from wild animal attacks that are kept as pets. When you absolutely have to keep wild animals at home for such things as a business, then the pets need to be kept away from humans in cages or tanks. Even the seemingly innocent bird can rip a person's nose and leave life long scars.

2. Animals that have been castrated are much less likely to be aggressive. Even domestic animals such as horses can destroy fences, escape and cause serious bodily harm as well as destruction to property. The same is true of other domestic animals and more so of wild animals kept as pets.

3. Keep children away from all wild animals that are kept as pets. Children are less able to defend themselves than adults and can suffer serious injuries from animal attacks that would not be as serious when inflicted on an adult.

4. Supervise children when in the company of domestic animals. Dogs are not happy to see new comers. They want to stay at the top of the ladder and a newborn is an addition that a dog would not be too happy to see. From time to time the death of a child left alone with a dog makes the news. That seemingly child loving dog can take a child's life in a matter of seconds.

5. Don't provoke animals into attacking. You start getting too comfortable with that chimp, next thing you know your hand is missing. That seemingly happy go lucky cat can all of sudden turn on you and leave your hand covered in blood. Animals don't like many things including looking them straight in the eyes and any type of behavior the animal deems to be a challenge. Sometimes just standing too close is deemed to be challenge.

Wild animals fall within a special category in personal injury claims. The keeping of wild animals is akin to keeping explosives or other dangerous materials. So great care should be taken to keep wild animals as pets. Domesticated animals as pets are not as dangerous as wild animals, but still require responsibility. When you invite a guest into your home there is a high probability that the animal will cause harm. Every visitor coming into your home where you keep a pet is an accident waiting to happen. One of the top reasons why children are taken to the ER is dog bites. Children get bitten by their own dogs and by dogs that would otherwise be deemed as safe. The dog may be man's best friend, but not a child's best friend.