Preventing Dog Mauling Danger

May 8, 2005 — -- Two-year-old Samantha Black of Detroit, Mich., was mauled to death by a Siberian huskie and an Alaskan malamut on Friday. The female dogs were untethered at the time, and both have since been euthanized.

Already in 2005, there have been 11 dog-related fatalities in the U.S. There were 20 dog-related human deaths in 2004, and roughly 154,000 children under the age of 14 go to emergency rooms annually in the United States due to dog-related injuries.

Brian Kilcommons, director of training at the New York City Animal Training and Control, said preventing dog-related injuries begins with parents who must assume responsibility for their dog's behavior.

"It's not one breed," Kilcommons said. "We need to look at how people are raising their dogs."

Kilcommons said unneutered male dogs are most likely to inflict injury, and chained or isolated dogs can become dangerous as well. But dog owners need to pay attention to the warning signs.

"One dog attack is unnacceptable," Kilcommons added. "And the people who own a dog need to look at how to be responsible."

Kilcommons most recently co-authored the book "Childproofing Your Dog" with Sarah Wilson, and outlined these tips from his book for controlling your dog.