DOGS BITE 77 POSTAL CARRIERS IN LOS ANGELES IN 2006: ORANGE COUNTY-LONG BEACH AREA RECORDS 96 DOG BITES
Southern California had its share of dog attacks in 2006, some resulting in serious injuries. These dog bite attacks are prompting cities, such as Torrance and Redondo Beach, to rethink their dog laws. These two cities are reacting to recent incidents where residents were injured. In Torrance, a vicious pit bull attack left a 60-year-old mail carrier in the intensive care unit of a local hospital with severe facial wounds. In Gardenia, there was a serious incident which involved two loose pit bulls. This past July, a Pasadena man was arrested after his roaming pit bull attacked three people.
These nationwide headlines are prompting city governments to enact legislation to restrict certain breeds of dogs. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that fatal attacks on people appear to be related to specific breeds, with pit-bull type dogs and Rottweilers being the top offenders. But other breeds of dogs also pose dangers, and it’s not clear that breed-specific laws would be practical or constitutional.
According to the U.S. Postal Service, dogs bit 3,184 mail carriers last year. In Southern California, the problem of dog attacks is serious. The Los Angeles-Orange County area saw 226 carriers bitten in 2006. In Orange County-Long Beach alone, 96 dog bites occurred last year, which was the most of any region. The city of Los Angeles alone had 77 recorded incidents of dog bites.
