Repeated Dog Bite Incidents Highlight Need for 'Muzzle'... "Owner's Judgment Must Precede"

Average of 6 Dog Bite Incidents Per Day
Dog Bite Incidents Continue Among Breeds Other Than 5 Designated Dangerous Dogs
Calls to Expand Dangerous Dog List Grow...
Experts Say "Expansion Should Be Cautious... 'Proper Walking' Culture Comes First"

Recently, as dog bite incidents have been occurring one after another, public anxiety is increasing. Photo by Pixabay. [Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] As the population of dog owners increases to as many as 15 million nationwide, dog bite incidents are also occurring frequently across the country. Along with strengthening the responsibility of dog owners for management and supervision, there are calls to expand the use of muzzles to dog breeds other than the designated dangerous breeds due to the sudden nature of these accidents. Experts point out that expanding the list of dangerous breeds should be approached cautiously and advise that a culture of 'proper walking' with companion dogs should be established through campaigns and other efforts.

Recently, an incident occurred where a Golden Retriever, known as a relatively gentle breed, bit another dog during a walk. The YouTube channel Jason-Seo TV released a related video in January showing Mr. A, who was walking a Jindo dog belonging to an acquaintance in Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam Province, being attacked by two Golden Retrievers.

Two Golden Retrievers attacked a Jindo dog.
Photo by Jason-SeoTV on YouTube.

In the video, Mr. A tried to avoid the Golden Retrievers, which were barking aggressively and showing hostile behavior, but the owner of the Golden Retrievers lost control of the leash due to the strength of the excited large dogs, leading to the accident. Mr. A sprained his ankle and was diagnosed with a two-week recovery period, while the attacked Jindo dog was bitten on the neck and transported to an animal hospital. Although the Jindo dog’s life was not in danger, it reportedly showed abnormal behavior such as biting its owner, unlike before, and remained in an anxious state.

As unexpected dog bite incidents occur nationwide, public anxiety is growing. Mr. A, a man in his 50s who was bitten on the hand by a 25kg mixed breed dog belonging to an acquaintance and received an antibiotic injection at a hospital, said, "I usually go for a walk in the evening for exercise, and there are really many people who bring their dogs out. Before being bitten, I thought dogs were cute, but after being bitten once, I became scared, wondering when even a small dog might suddenly turn aggressive."

He added, "Many owners walk their dogs with long, loose leashes or do not properly manage the leash. The dog that bit me was usually obedient to its owner, but suddenly bit me. Since accidents can happen unexpectedly, I hope dogs that tend to bite or are of a certain size wear muzzles."

Under the current Animal Protection Act, five breeds?Dosa dogs, American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and Rottweilers?are classified as dangerous breeds and are required to wear muzzles. However, dog bite incidents are increasing among other breeds as well.

The increase in dog bite incidents is also confirmed by statistics. According to the Fire Agency, over the past five years (2016?2020), a total of 11,152 patients were transported due to dog bite incidents. This means that more than six dog bite incidents occurred daily on average. Considering smaller incidents not reflected in the statistics, the actual number of dog bite incidents is expected to be even higher.

Photo by Pixabay capture. [Image source=Pixabay]

Given this situation, there are growing calls to strengthen penalties for owners’ management and supervision and to expand the list of breeds required to wear muzzles. Although the companion animal population has increased nationwide, penalties for owners in dog bite incidents are not severe. Moreover, since dog bite incidents occur outside of dangerous breeds, countermeasures are needed.

Regarding this, experts say that while improving owners’ awareness about companion dogs is necessary, expanding the list of breeds required to wear muzzles should be approached cautiously. Professor Lee Woong-jong of Yeonam University’s Animal Protection Department emphasized, "Dog bite incidents during walks stem from owners’ improper walking methods. Owners need to learn the 'proper walking' method that facilitates communication between dogs and people." He added, "Many owners mistakenly let dogs lead the walk or mark territory during walks out of concern for the dogs’ stress. This is wrong. When walking a dog, the focus should be on walking together under the owner’s proper control, not letting the dog roam freely."

Professor Lee said, "As dog bite incidents increase, there are calls to expand dangerous breed registration and increase the breeds required to wear muzzles, but internationally, this can lead to stigmatization of certain breeds as aggressive, causing problems. Therefore, the best way to prevent dog bite incidents is for owners to make appropriate judgments and have their dogs wear muzzles when necessary. Dogs act habitually, so if they have bitten once, there is a high possibility they might bite again, and owners know this best. A culture of considerate companion dog ownership is needed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.