Dallas, Texas – Memorial Day weekend can be a great time to reconnect with friends and family, but it can also increase the risk of a dog bite or other attack, say attorneys at North Texas personal injury firm Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys.

If your dog bites someone during a Memorial Day gathering, you may be held liable as the dog’s owner. To help keep guests safe this Memorial Day, managing partner, John “Tony” Ross recommends, “Dog owners should keep their dogs separate from guests. Give a dog their own room or crate to create distance to reduce the dog’s stress around unfamiliar people and strange smells.”

Dogs can also cause injuries when they’re free to greet guests. Small dogs underfoot can cause a guest to slip, trip, or fall. Large dogs may knock a guest over or bump a guest into furniture or another object, causing injury. And any dog may use an open door as an excuse to take an unsupervised nighttime stroll, which can harm the dog.

Remind guests you have a dog when you invite them over for a gathering. When they arrive, tell guests where your dog is. For example, if your dog is resting in a bedroom, remind guests not to open the bedroom door. If your dog is crated in a guest space, like the living room, ask guests to approach the dog calmly.

Also, remind guests not to give your dog treats. A dog excited to take food may bite a person’s hand instead of the treat. Research which foods are safe for dogs.

“If you live in Wichita Falls, Decatur, Denton, Justin, Dallas, or anywhere else in North Texas, knowledge about dog safety can help protect both guests and dogs from injury,” Tony Ross stated. “This may reduce the risk of a costly lawsuit or expensive veterinary bills.”