Posted: Sun, 9 Jan 2011 09:55 PM - 9,091 Readers
By: Catenya McHenry
While many teens spent their summer in and out of the mall and the movies, 15 year old Lake Travis teen Angela Parke was in out of surgery and the hospital.
She remembers it like it happened today. The dog was not a stranger to her.
"I looked it in the eye and I smiled. It didn't like that. It took it as offense. I guess," said Parke.
Her friend's dog had given birth to almost a dozen puppies just three days before. Angela was holding one of its puppies when the dog's instinct burst.
"Because I was being aggressive, baring my teeth and then it just lunged, got really scared and protective," said Parke. "I don't think she growled. I just saw her teeth and then they were on me."
That dog bit off a portion of Angela's nose.
"She was a mess. Her nose was like shredded and gone," said Angela's Dad, Richard Parke.
"I didn't want to look at myself in the mirror," said Angela. "It wasn't until I got to the hospital and people started asking me questions that it hit me and I started crying."
Angela needed three reconstructive surgeries to repair her nose. She still has one more surgery to undergo.
"You don't need to have that much tissue destroyed, removed, or injured to have a fairly significant injury when the injury is on the face. Just a few square centimeters can make a big difference in a negative direction," said Seton Medical Center reconstructive plastic surgeon Dr. Adam Weinfeld.
Dr. Weinfeld says the only unique thing about Angela's case is the extent of her injuries. He says unfortunately dog biting cases are very common and are seasonal.
"In the winter months, we see a dog biting case maybe once a week, in the summer we see at least five a week," said Weinfeld.
Disturbing news for dog behaviour specialist Tara Stermer . In 2009 she saw 36 dog biting cases. In 2010 that number jumped to 47. According to ASPCA, 800,000 [dog] bites a year are severe enough to require medical treatment, while 1 to 2 million go unreported . Those stats are high enough for Tara to take action. Each month she offers a seminar to educate parents about the differences between dogs and children.
"Eighty-seven percent of the kids that are bitten are unattended," said Stermer. "We have a lot of trust and a lot of faith in our dogs and yeah, they are great animals. They are loyal are companions but they still are going to follow their dog instincts."
She says sometimes behaviors that children think are loving, such as hugging or kissing, dogs perceive as aggression.
"[People] really see the dogs as being family members," said Stermer. They don't realize the dogs are dogs and they are dogs first and their going to correct a child like they would a puppy."
Tara says dogs have five different types of bites. She connects 90% of the dog biting cases to "corrective" bites.
"When a child runs up and grabs a face, that's viewed as dominance play. They see the child as a puppy. So they are going to give him a quick corrective bite," said Stermer.
Stermer says saying a dog will not bite is a myth. She says all dogs, no matter the size or breed bite; it's their nature. In her seminars, Stermer offers parents helpful advice.
Never allow a child to go near a dog that is eating or chewing a bone or dog toy.
Never all a child to approach an unknown dog without knowing if the owner can control it.
Never let a child come face to face with a dog. A dog views that as confrontational and it could become aggressive.
Dr. Weinfeld offers this advice:
Don't allow a child to feed a dog from the table. A dog's eating area should be sperate from where the family eats.
As for teenager, Angela Parke she is recovering but will need one more surgery. Her attack didn't give her a fear of dogs though, in fact she is now mother to one of her own. She's not angry or bitter. She says she understands why the dog bite her.
"She was just being protective," said Parke.
