Texas ranks third in country for dog bite claims

Texas ranks high in dog-bite claims

"We are a growing city and we have a really dense population of animals, dogs and cats, what we call companion animals inside the city of Amarillo," Barlow said. In other areas, like Canyon, a strict ordinance has been put in place to control the amount of animal bites. Two years ago the city amended it's dangerous dog ordinance. If animal control deems the dog unsafe or dangerous, the owner has to register their dog, and pay certain fees if they want to keep it in town. Police Chief, Dale Davis, says since the ordinance passed in 2011, it has positively impacted the community. "Since we have passed this, the city of Canyon has not seen any dangerous dog complaints... I believe we have achieved our objective by putting this in place and we have kept these animals out of Canyon," he said.
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"Homeowners who have dogs usually have a one-bite rule," said Mark Hanna , spokesman for the Insurance Council of Texas . "Everything is fine until their pet bites somebody, and at that point and time the insurance company steps in to reassess the homeowner policy. "There are a lot of pets out there, and insurance companies are aware of that," he said. So far this year, there have more than 520 reported dog bites in Houston, putting the city on track to match the 1,265 dog bites reported in 2012, according to BARC Animal Shelter & Adoptions. Dog bites accounted for more than one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claim dollars paid out in 2011, costing nearly $479 million, according to the Insurance Information Institute . To be sure, some dog breeds are quicker to bite than others. Some of the major offenders are pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, Huskies, Dobermans and wolf-dog hybrids.
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Panel formed for dog bite victims

However, when it is paired with pinned back ears and panting, it may be taken as a sign of nervousness. Some signs are more obvious, such as a lip curl or soft growling. Other signs such as looking away, lip-licking or a rigid tail are not as obvious to the untrained eye. Dogs are not the only bites for which to look out. Cat bites may occur less often, but can be more dangerous than dog bites.
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Recognize signs to avoid animal bites

The committee headed by the Commissioner has Chief Health Officer (CHO) as its member secretary. Other members in the panel are the Joint Director of Animal Husbandry Department of the Palike, Chief Accounts Officer (CAO) and the Special Commissioner (Projects). The State government had passed an order in February this year directing all the Deputy Commissioners in the district to form a panel to pay compensation to dog bite victims. This order came in the backdrop of the High Court direction on December 7, 2012 following a series of writ petitions in this regard. The BBMP then submitted a proposal to the State government to allow the BBMP Commissioner to head the committee. The Palike had argued that paying compensation and taking measures to check stray dog population in the City was its obligatory duty.
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