Dog bites in California requiring trips to the emergency room have taken a major jump in recent years. In Nevada County, 111 such trips were recorded by the state in 2010. By 2013 and 2014, numbers peaked at 152 and 159, before dropping to 140 last year. There were only 80 in Sutter County, which has a similar-sized population. Nevada County’s Senior Animal Control Officer, Stephanie Geckler believes the increases are mainly due to a more frequent lack of behavioral control by owners…

click to listen to Stephanie Geckler

Geckler says there is also an increaingly cavalier attitude by owners when it comes to containing their dogs…

click to listen to Stephanie Geckler

Studies also indicate that there’s been a corresponding increase in Californians who use their dogs for protection as well as having them as pets. And those breeds are larger and inflict more serious injuries. Rural areas, like Nevada County, are far more likley to have a higher proportion of outside watchdogs, compared to urban counties.