I love dogs. I have owned a dog all of my life except for a few months recently when my two dogs died, one after the other. A dog has bitten me twice in my life. My dog bit me accidentally when we were wrestling on the floor and he drove his tooth through the side of my hand. The other time a Chihuahua bit me when I was a boy, about 6 years old. The bite by the Chihuahua has stayed with me – I can hear a Chihuahua from a mile away and they kind of freak me out.

Physical wounds can generally be fixed. Relatively small and clean lacerations can re repaired and if done skillfully the resulting scar can be barely visible. More serious wounds where pieces of flesh have been lost will scar if the margins of the wounds cannot be brought together. More serious wounds will result in visible and sometimes obvious scars.

The real scars of course are on the mind. When a young little boy or girl are bit by a dog the real harm is psychological. Sometimes the child will develop a fear of dogs; regardless of the breed that did the harm. I have helped families where even the barking of a dog sends fear through the child. These kids will never own a dog. They will never be able to confide their deepest and most secret thoughts with a true and trusted friend who they know will never tell another living soul.