It was a shock to learn that there is a dog bite epidemic in America. About 5 million people are bitten annually—800,000 need medical attention, 1,000 a day need hospitalization, between 15 and 20 people die each year and most of the victims are children. According to the Atlanta Center for disease Control ("CDC") 7 out of 10 victims are children.

My husband and I love to take a daily walk. However an aggressive male pit bull terrier began yapping and snapping at our heels as we strolled up the road across from his home. My husband asked the owner to contain the dog as we feared it would bite.

"Tommy wouldn’t hurt a fly," the owner scoffed and Tommy continued to torment us.

Tommy bit me six months later when my husband was out of town. He sank his teeth deep into my upper right thigh when I turned to face him. The pepper spray was useless. Only a few drops fell to the ground when I mashed the button. "Help, help!" I yelled. My hands were shaking.

When nobody appeared I backed away slowly and gave a sigh of relief when Tommy stayed put.

My heart was still pounding when I called the sheriff’s office and left a message about being bitten on Tommy’s owner’s answering machine.

I took off my blood-drenched pants and inspected my wounds. The peroxide bubbled red in the five deep bleeding holes and scratches that formed a large red circle on my thigh.

A deputy arrived in minutes and took a Polaroid picture of a pen alongside my wound. I told him what happened. He left to find Tommy’s owner as paramedics cleaned and wrapped my thigh.

The doctor at the emergency room was unable to stitch up my punctures as pieces of my flesh were missing and there was a risk of infection. She cleaned and dressed the wound and requested I continue twice a day for six weeks. It had to heal from the inside out.

Tommy’s owners called the following day. They asked if I was sure the dog that bit me was Tommy. I told them I was and requested that they contain him and pay my medical bills. "I don’t have the money," the husband barked.

"Are you saying you won’t pay my medical bills? "I asked with surprise.

"I didn’t say that," he growled.

Three days later the Health Department told me they recommended I receive rabies shots as Tommy’s owner had shot and buried the dog instead of placing him under quarantine for 10 days to ensure he was rabies free. Since the deputy said earlier that Tommy’s rabies shot was current I agreed to sign a paper releasing them of responsibility should I get rabies. They said they could not determine if Tommy was rabies free as his head was not kept cold and analyzed immediately after his death.

It was a tough decision not to take the rabies treatments, as I would only know I was rabies free after a year.

I decided to do some research on dog bites and was shocked to learn that there is a dog bite epidemic in America. About 5 million people are bitten annually—800,000 need medical attention, 1,000 a day need hospitalization, between 15 and 20 people die each year and most of the victims are children. According to the Atlanta Center for disease Control ("CDC") 7 out of 10 victims are children. They are more likely to be bitten around the head. Seventy-seven percent of biting dogs belong to the victims family or a friend.

A recent study of dog bite fatalities revealed that pit bulls, Rottweilers and German shepherds along with 25 other breeds are most likely to kill a person. Pit bulls were involved in about a third of the fatalities and Rottweilers about half. Non-neutered and chained dogs are three times more likely to bite. There is an 8 out of 10 chance that the biting dog is male.

The property/insurance industry paid $345.5 million to dog bite victims in 2002. Twenty percent of homeowner’s insurance liability payments are dog bit related. A growing number of homeowner policies are denying or failing to renew policies because of the dog type the family owns.

The owner is held liable for their dog’s aggression under three laws. The first is a "one-bite" rule where the owner is held responsible only if they were aware of the dog’s danger. Georgia is one of the few States that still has this law.

The second is the dog-bite statute where the owner is liable for any injury the dog causes without provocation. The third is negligence where the owner is liable if the injury was a result of their carelessness in controlling the dog.

According to the Deputy, Tommy’s owners were liable for my injuries as my husband had warned them about Tommy’s aggression and they were negligent for being in violation of the county’s leash law, which carried a fine.

A week later an Agent from the insurance company representing Tommy’s owners came to discuss paying my medical bills. Since I belong to an HMO the amount of money I requested to cover my medical bills was minimal.

Then came a surprise.

The insurance agent said the photograph of my red open wounds and swollen black and blue thigh were impressive and recommended I ask for more money to cover my pain and suffering. I told him to give me what his insurance company thought was fair. The compensation was large. I was stunned.

I am thankful that I did not get rabies or an infection, that my wound healed and that I received financial help. Although my fear of aggressive dogs increased, Dixie, my golden retriever companion and friend helped restore my trust in most dogs.

I share my story with the hope that it might prevent others from the trauma of a dog bite, stop the loss of a beloved pet or being sued for as much as one-million dollars plus legal fees according to a July 28, 2000 USA Today report.

I believe knowledge is power.