Overcoming The Life-Changing Adversity Of A Dog Attack

Sniffing out creative strategies for a new “leash” on life!

Shannon Heggem: Speaker, Consultant, Bloodhound

“Despite my dog experience, my life nearly ended in a split-second, by an unprovoked attack from a dog I knew well, and loved…”

I few years ago I was going through my parents’ photo albums, and I discovered that nearly every childhood picture of me has a dog in it. In fact, that’s me with my very first dog, “Rex.”

By age five, I had already been a “midwife” to my sister’s collie, helping her whelp her last puppy while my mom was busy on the telephone. At age nine, my dog grooming business, the Clip-n-Comb was open for business. I had completed the local “adult” education dog training courses before my eleventh birthday, and went on to win each of the 4-H dog training competitions in the county, all before entering high school. My life was all about dogs, even back then.

After high school, I took a break to concentrate on my university career, and when I finished, it was back to the dogs. I used my business and marketing education to open my pet care facility in 1992.

The business was a great success, and soon needed more space to continue to prosper. I purchased a large, commercial location for expansion, and the remodeling began. It took six months to complete; then the business was up and running in it’s new location in December of 1998.

Christmas is the busiest time of year for a pet-care facility, and with my current expansion, I was overwhelmed. The phone continued to ring with reservations, until I had no room for any more pets. But the phone rang once again, with a returning client from Seattle that was going to be in the area with her Rottweiler, Jack.

He was a friendly, non-aggressive dog of easy-going nature that I had boarded on several occasions. I loved Jack– he was my buddy! Of course I could make room, I promised...

I wish I would have told her I didn’t have room for her dog.

The attack was unprovoked and, short of saying no to Jack’s owner that day, basically unavoidable. Even with all of my dog experience and knowledge, I became a defenseless victim in a split-second, when Jack snuck up behind me sank his teeth into my neck.

The good news is, despite the doctors’ predictions, I actually survived Jack’s vicious attack to my face and throat. The bad news is that apparently, something in Jack’s brain went awry, and I was transformed, in Jack’s perspective, from his buddy to his prey. This loving, kind family pet had, without warning, turned into a stealthy predator.

What is the solution?

Education and prevention. There are more than 66 million dogs in the United States, which more than proves that we truly are living in a dog-crazy world. But despite the canine’s popularity, bite-prevention education remains a well-kept secret. In fact, what do you actually know about dog safety?

What would you do if you were walking alone on the street and an aggressive dog ran toward you? Common responses include: run, climb a tree, kick at the dog, try to sneak away, scream for help...all of these responses are dangerously wrong!

The correct answer is: stand very still, in one spot, without any eye contact, until the dog runs off or help comes. What if he starts to bite? Remain quiet, and, if pulled to the ground, cover your head and face with your hands, and curl up in a fetal position, face down if possible. Scary to think about, isn’t it?

As a survivor, I am deeply committed to spreading the word about dog safety. It can happen to anyone.

I think everyone should be required to learn how to recognize dog body language and warning signals: dog owners, parents, pet professionals, and, most of all, children. I truly believe that I was given the gift of survival that fateful December day so that I can spread the message, as a fellow dog lover, of bite prevention and dog safety.

My life has always been all about dogs.

The Day My Life Changed Forever

Text Box: U.S. DOG BITE STATISTICS: Every 90 seconds a person is admitted to a hospital emergency room with a dog-bite injury. Injuries sustained from dog bites are the second most frequent cause of emergency room visits. More than 4.7 million dog bites are reported annually, which translates to 2% of the nation’s population. However, the vast majority of dog bites go unreported. Dogs that are not spayed or neutered are 3 times more likely to bite than those that have been surgically sterilized. On average, 20 people die every year as a result of a dog attack; most are children. Documented research states more than 65% of these fatal attacks are from either Pit Bulls or Rottweilers. Over 60% of dog attacks happen at home or at a place familiar to the victim. The U.S. Postal service reports that an average of 3,300 mail carriers are bitten each year.