We are a nation of dog lovers - an estimated 75 million dogs call the nation's 111 million households home. There is one dog for every four people in the United States, and most of them are wonderful pets that provide years of love and enjoyment to their families.

However, dog attacks are a frighteningly regular occurrence in this country and serious, and fatal dog attack injuries are a growing problem.

A Kentucky dog bite lawyer can help protect your rights in the wake of a dog attack. A large number of dog-bite victims are children, where scarring, emotional problems and pain and suffering can be significant medical and legal issues.

The average number of fatal dog attacks has been rising steadily since the 1980s, when an average of 17 fatal dog attacks occurred each year in the United States. In 2007, 33 people died from injuries sustained in a dog attack.

In 2006, more than 31,000 people underwent reconstructive surgery as the result of dog bites, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Kentucky has one of the nation's toughest dog-bite laws, aimed at protecting the public. A strict-liability state, the laws favor anyone who is injured by a dog. A Kentucky dog owner is strictly liable for injuries to a person bitten by a dog or to damage to property or livestock.