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| Guinevere Bates-Hewitt shows where she lost part of her ear in a dog attack in their Aliso Viejo neighborhood. |
"It was just a tug, and I just went into shock," she said.
About three weeks later, her stepfather Aaron Broering was in the garage office when two pit bulls came toward the open door. The dogs, belonging to another neighbor, had nipped at him before, and fearing for the family's two toddlers in the house, he shouted at the dogs to get away.
"They went for my neck, and I moved," said Broering, who was bit in his left shoulder. "This could have been a lot worse."
With two members of the family sustaining bites within a month of each other, the Bates-Broering household is hoping to raise awareness and organize a local push for responsibility among pet owners. Guinevere's mother, Liz Bates-Broering, said during her family's ordeals, she was surprised to learn there aren't more regulations regarding aggressive dogs.
"Some dogs are lethal, just like driving an automobile could be lethal or owning a gun," she said.
To prevent children being disfigured or killed in dog attacks, Bates-Broering said she'd like to see owners of breeds more prone to attack be required to undergo training with their dogs as well as carry insurance.
Since the owner of the dog that bit Guinevere had renter's insurance, the family hopes to receive a settlement to cover reconstructive surgery and other medical costs such as copayments not covered by health insurance.
After receiving about 25 stitches, Guinevere doesn't want anyone touching her ear for a while. Her mother said money would go into a trust for a future surgery.
"I just think about prom, when she wants to wear her hair up, or getting married. I'm thinking ahead," Bates-Broering said.
For pet owners without a home insurance policy, options are more limited after a dog bite, and Broering said he was shocked to find some insurance carriers won't pay out dog-bite claims if the dog is a pit bull.
"That right there tells you that there's a flaw in the system," he said.
"No amount of money is going to bring back your child or help with a disfigurement," his wife added.
State law prevents legislation that targets specific breeds of dogs, except for spay and neuter requirements.
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| Aaron Broering talks about being attacked by a dog in his Aliso Viejo neighborhood. |
Cypress considered ordering pit bull owners to spay and neuter their dogs to help with aggression and address overpopulation, then opted instead in January to strengthen animal-control laws. At the time, some council members said a spay/neuter mandate would punish responsible pet owners.
San Bernardino County passed a spay and neuter requirement for the breed last year after several deadly pit bull attacks.
Ryan Drabek of Orange County Animal Care said while legislation options are limited, his group focuses on teaching pet owners about leash laws, properly securing their pets and keeping animals from being a nuisance to neighbors.
"Public education is key," he said.
Dogs of any breed and their owners can benefit from obedience classes, he added.
"Those types of classes create such an incredible bond between owner and animal," he said.
When a pet does cause problems, Drabek said neighbors should report even minor events to help prevent more serious incidents. Orange County Animal Care recorded 2,324 bites in 2010.
"Each and every incident should be reported to the local animal control agency for follow up," he said.
Before the first dog attack, Guinevere's family had considered adopting a pit bull puppy. After her daughter was attacked, though, Bates-Broering said she didn't want to take any chances.
"They can be very, very sweet dogs. I just think the people who own them need to understand they could potentially be dangerous, especially for their children," she said.
Requiring pet owners to put in training time with their dogs and insure against attacks could weed out a careless element, Bates-Broering said.
"Then the people that really want the dogs are going to be responsible for them," she said.
(OC Register - June 11, 2011)
