Byline: Sabrina Hamilton
Jun. 17--Esara Rubio grabbed Chico and huddled over her Chihuahua to shield it from a pit bull German shepherd that began barking at them.
The bigger dog charged toward 10-year-old Esara, who jumped on her and bit her on the back.
Esara started screaming. Fortunately for her, the dog's owner came running, yelling at the shepherd and hitting it with a newspaper.
She was lucky. The dog's bite marks did not leave major scars and she didn't bleed very much.
But the Pharr girl is one of more than half of all Texas children who are victims of dog bites by age 12, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Even though last year's reported dog bite cases in McAllen and Edinburg do not reflect an increase in the summer, animal control supervisors and health officials say there are more opportunities to be bitten during this time.
Last year, 138 dog bites were reported to the McAllen Police Department. Forty-nine of those were between May and August. There were 64 dog bite incidences in Edinburg in 2005, and 14 of those were between May and August.
'Most (reports) are serious, but many (people) wait or don't report incidences,' said McAllen animal control Supervisor Chris Sanchez.
Walking, bicycling, barbecues and pool parties all increase outdoor exposure and interaction with animals.
'Dogs are more prone to bite or be aggressive during their mating season in February or March,' said Eddie Olivarez, Hidalgo County Health Department chief administrative officer. 'But there may be a higher incidence of dog bites in the summer when children are out of school and there are more opportunities for an encounter with a dog.'
In Texas, dogs bite approximately 400,000 people each year; 40 percent of severe dog bite victims are children. Children are almost five times more likely to be bitten by a dog than adolescents and adults, according to the TDSHS Web site.
Pit bulls, rottweilers and German shepherds are commonly considered violent dogs. Dog biting is based not on breed, but on how a dog is socialized, said Laural Powell, executive director for the Humane Society of the Upper Valley.
She said the chow chow is the state's leading breed reported for dog bites.
'Every year a different breed is bred for specific traits for those who are looking for aggressive types of dogs,' Powell said. 'Each dog breed gets a reputation for being a bad or aggressive type of dog.'
'The incidence of dog bites is directly related to the encroachment of space,' Olivarez said. 'The more open spaces in the country make it less likely for a dog bite to occur. The odds are more likely in town because there are more people interacting.'
Children often play with dogs, many times getting them too excited and get bitten, Sanchez said.
'Children are small and although dogs have been domesticated for years, dogs may still think of them as prey,' Powell said.
Puppies that are taken away from their mothers and littermates do not learn how to play, said Albert Gonzalez, pet trainer for PetSmart in McAllen. Owners are then responsible to teach their dogs when their 'play biting' is too hard. Learning proper bite conduct is essential to a dog's development.
Texas is a 'one-bite state,' where owners are not held responsible if their dog bites someone once, unless they are negligent. For each case after the first incident, the dog's owner is held responsible, according to dogbitelaw.com. McAllen, Mission, Edinburg and Pharr all have laws requiring dogs to wear identification tags and be on a leash or contained on the owner's property, according to local animal control supervisors.
Spaying and neutering dogs helps reduce aggression, but not protectiveness. Unaltered dogs are up to three times more likely to bite as those that have been sterilized, according to TDSHS.
'Unaltered males are more likely than neutered dogs because of their increased amount of testosterone,' Powell said.
There is not a major difference in bites between male and female dogs, but males tend to be a little more aggressive, said Joe Cruz, Mission's animal control supervisor.
Reporting dog bites ensures not only the affected individual, but the rest of the community, Olivarez said.
'Rabies is lethal in humans,' he said. 'It's rare that a person can survive rabies without the proper medical attention.'
Hidalgo County has a large population of coyotes, skunks, raccoons and bats and they frequently carry rabies.
'You have a greater chance of contracting rabies from those animals,' he said. 'But stray dogs that interact with these animals can contract rabies from them.'
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Sabrina Hamilton covers general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4463.
Copyright (c) 2006, The Monitor, McAllen, Texas
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