The city of Auburn, California, is considering new dangerous dog regulations after a teenager was injured last September in a dog bite incident when four pit bulls attacked her. According to a news10 report, council members are looking into passing new laws to regulate aggressive dog breeds. But pit bull owners and activists are concerned that the city would try to impose a breed ban. People came to the council meeting with photos of their pit bulls in an attempt to convince officials that pit bulls can be "kind, sweet" dogs.

Pack of Pit Bulls Maul Teen

But the Sept. 16 attack on a teenager, which occurred in downtown Auburn outside a Big O Tires store, showed a different side of the pit bull breed – the side that is often seen in media reports. The unprovoked dog attack happened as the teenager was going to dinner with his parents. Four pit bulls, roaming the street, knocked the teen down, biting him numerous times on his upper and lower body. The boy was rescued by an employee of the tire store who came armed with a wrench and pulled the teen to safety. He did not sustain life-threatening injuries, but was severely mauled and had to get 40 stitches to cover up the bite wounds.

California law states that cities cannot ban breeds of dogs. However, what many cities have done is to impose more restrictions on people who choose to own these dangerous breeds of dogs, such as mandatory spaying and neutering and limitations on how many dogs a pit bull owner can keep on their property.

Vicious Dog Laws Protect the Community

In my opinion, the city of Auburn should not be intimidated by pit bull activists. They should move ahead with the new dangerous dog ordinance. They should also add mandatory liability insurance as one of the requirements for pit bull owners. As California personal injury attorneys who represent dog bite victims, we know that these victims and their families undergo tremendous grief and expenses after a dog attack. A victim not only needs emergency medical attention, but also very often, cosmetic surgery to repair scars caused by the dog bites.

Often times, the scars are irreparable and the victim must live with them for a lifetime. If a dog owner does not have liability insurance to cover at least some of the expenses, victims will be left on their own. This, in my opinion, is unfair and unacceptable. Innocent victims should not be made to pay for dog owners' negligence or inability to control their pets. The city of Auburn should certainly proceed with its new vicious dog laws for the safety and well-being of its residents.

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