When Animals Become a Neighborhood Hazard

A young girl plays with a neighbor’s dog. A toddler chases ducks at a community pond. A class visits a petting zoo, feeding and brushing baby goats. These moments are often cherished childhood memories. To a parent, they may seem innocent, even charming. But they can present serious risks unless certain precautions are taken.

Each year, thousands of children in the United States are injured by animals they encounter in everyday places: at local parks and playgrounds, during walks, at school events, and even in their own homes and front yards. The risks they face aren’t limited to unfamiliar or wild animals. Many incidents occur in children’s own neighborhoods and involve animals they know.

Here, we will explore the hidden risks animals can pose to children in familiar settings. Drawing on recent statistics, laws, and real-life examples, we will examine what practical measures can be taken to better protect our children—without vilifying animals, and by promoting awareness, not fear.

Any Dog Can Bite

Dogs are man’s best friend, but they are still animals, subject to instincts and to unpredictable or aggressive behavior depending on how they are treated, trained, and raised. Any dog can bite, no matter its breed, size, age, or gender. Even trusted family pets or dogs that are well known to children can attack in certain circumstances.

Dog bites are the most common animal-related injury affecting children in the United States. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), around 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs in the U.S. every year, and nearly 800,000 of those require medical care. Roughly half of all dog bite victims are children, with boys aged five to nine at the highest risk.

The injuries inflicted by dogs are often serious: bites to the face, neck, or hands that require stitches, surgery, or even reconstruction. Emergency departments treated 395,000 people for dog bites in 2022, the highest number ever recorded, according to the CDC’s Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). California, Texas, and Florida consistently have the highest number of dog bites in the country.

Children are disproportionately the victims of serious dog bite injuries. According to Barking dogs do bite: animal-related injuries in children, a 2025 study published in Pediatric Surgery International, younger children (under the age of 6) are more likely to experience head and neck wounds, primarily due to their smaller size and stature. These wounds are also more likely to be fatal.

Because 45% of American households have at least one dog, this makes the issue of dog attacks—and who is accountable—a critical topic for any parent or pet owner. While many states have passed strict liability laws that hold dog owners responsible for any bite, some states, including Texas, New Mexico, Idaho, Arkansas, and Nevada, follow a “one-bite rule.” With some exceptions, this means that a dog must have shown previous aggression or that the owner should have reasonably known that the dog was dangerous in order to be held liable. However, if a dog is not properly contained or leashed, owners can still face civil or even criminal consequences under applicable local ordinances and state laws.

In February 2022, a four-year-old boy was killed by a relative’s dogs in Baytown, Texas. The boy was staying the night with his aunt and woke up in the morning to look for his cousin, who was feeding the family’s three dogs. Although neighbors described the dogs as “friendly” when interviewed by local news, they attacked that morning and claimed the young boy’s life.

Sadly, the tragedy in Baytown is not an isolated one. According to statistics compiled by the World Animal Foundation, an average of 16 children die each year as a result of dog attacks.

The lesson? Any dog, regardless of breed or history, can bite under the right conditions. Prevention must begin with responsible pet ownership: supervision, socialization, leashing, and education.

Teaching Kids Awareness Without Fear

Preventing dog bites isn’t about creating fear. It’s about empowering children with calm, confident knowledge of how to meet and interact with dogs.

Kids can safely interact with dogs by approaching them the right way:

• Always ask the owner if it is okay to greet the dog.
• Let the dog approach you.
• Slowly hold your hand out in a fist and allow the dog to smell you.
• Pat or pet the dog on its side, neck, back, or chest.
• Pay attention to the dog’s cues, stay calm, and move slowly.

Experts also recommend:

• Avoiding direct eye contact with unfamiliar dogs.
• Not running from an aggressive dog.
• Rolling into a ball and covering the neck if attacked.

Animal safety should be taught with the same care as street safety or fire drills. Schools, pediatricians, and parents can all play a role.

The Dangers of Educational Animal Encounters

Dogs and other family pets are not the only animals that present risks for children. Petting zoos and mobile animal exhibits are popular field trip destinations, but they carry hazards that many people are not aware of, especially for children under five.

450,000 Americans contract animal-related intestinal illnesses each year, according to a May 2025 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) by the CDC. These illnesses, which include Salmonella, E. coli, and Cryptosporidium, lead to 5,000 hospitalizations and 76 deaths annually. Young children are at increased risk due to underdeveloped immune systems and a higher likelihood of hand-to-mouth behavior after feeding, touching, and otherwise interacting with animals.

In 2022, a Tennessee farm camp made headlines when three children contracted E. coli O157 after petting goats. A two-year-old boy whose older brother had attended the camp died from kidney failure after secondary exposure. The incident was traced to two baby goats who had appeared healthy but carried the potentially deadly bacteria.

Experts offer a few helpful tips for staying safe at animal exhibits:

• Children under five should avoid contact with high-risk animals (reptiles, amphibians, and poultry).
• Wash hands immediately after animal contact.
• Keep food and drinks out of animal areas.
• Supervise children closely and avoid pacifiers or toys near animals.

The owners, managers, and staff involved in petting zoos and mobile animal exhibits must take appropriate measures to protect child attendees. This may include providing proper signage and instructions regarding interacting with the animals, using appropriate enclosures and fencing, and providing hand-washing stations.

When Wild Animals Enter the Neighborhood

Even in well-developed suburban areas, children may encounter wildlife that can put them in danger. Coyotes, raccoons, deer, or even bears are risks in certain areas.

In 2022, a two-year-old was attacked by a coyote on the front porch of his family’s Dallas home. Neighbors had reportedly been feeding the animal. In Connecticut that same year, a rabid raccoon latched onto a five-year-old girl’s leg as she waited on the front porch for the school bus. Her mother tore the frenzied animal off her daughter and tossed it into the yard. Video of the shocking attack went viral.

Wildlife officials recommend:

• Never feeding wild animals.
• Securing trash, compost, and pet food.
• Supervising children outdoors.
• Reporting unusual animal behavior.

While rare, attacks like these show the importance of keeping wildlife wild. Responsibility is typically shared among city and county animal control units, state wildlife agencies, and local governments. These entities may implement measures like public education campaigns, fencing or signage in parks, wildlife feeding bans, and targeted animal removal. Residents can support these efforts by reporting sightings and securing potential food sources like garbage or pet food.

When communities take proactive steps to manage wildlife interactions, they create safer spaces for everyone—particularly children who may not yet recognize the difference between friendly and dangerous encounters.

Exotic Pets: The Risks Next Door

Americans own an estimated 17.6 million exotic pets: from pythons and parrots to monkeys and big cats. These animals pose unique risks, and laws that regulate them are inconsistent at best.

Texas, for example, has no statewide ban on owning dangerous wild animals like tigers. Though owners must register and insure them, enforcement is lax. In 2021, a pet tiger was spotted roaming a Houston neighborhood, sparking national headlines. Also in 2021, a highly venomous cobra escaped from its enclosure in Grand Prairie, Texas, and was never found. The owner was fined and ultimately sentenced to 15 months of community supervision.

The federal Big Cat Public Safety Act of 2022 has since banned private ownership of lions, tigers, leopards, and other big cats, with exceptions for existing owners who properly registered their animals by June 18, 2023. But the law doesn’t cover all exotics; venomous snakes and primates remain loosely regulated in many states.

The key concern? Children may visit homes with exotic pets, unaware of the risks. Or, as happened in Houston and Grand Prairie, these pets may escape their homes and roam the community at large. Even well-meaning owners cannot predict the behavior of an exotic pet, and children may pay the price.

Neighborhood Animals & Where Accountability Starts

Pet owners, educators, and community leaders all share responsibility for creating safer neighborhoods for the children who live and play there.

That means:

• Enforcing leash, containment, and dangerous dog laws.
• Providing proper fencing and signage at parks, trails, and animal exhibits.
• Ensuring handwashing stations and sanitation facilities are available at animal interaction sites.
• Promoting responsible pet ownership through licensing, education, and spay/neuter programs.
• Supporting wildlife control programs and public awareness campaigns about feeding bans and animal safety.
• Responding promptly to reports of aggressive or stray animals.

Animals enrich our neighborhoods and our lives. According to the National Institutes of Health, pet ownership can “decrease stress, improve heart health, and even help children with their emotional and social skills.” Researchers are even studying how animals can influence child development and help with conditions like autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The results are promising and far-reaching.

But we must also consider the risks that neighborhood animals pose. By respecting animals, and respecting their boundaries, we can foster safer, healthier communities. That means accountability, education, and above all, vigilance.

Because every child deserves the joy of connecting with animals—safely.