North Gyeongsang fire department warns of rise in dog bite incidents this summer

The North Gyeongsang Provincial Fire Service urged residents Monday to take extra precautions against dog bites as incidents increase during the summer months.

According to the fire service, 921 dog bite incidents were recorded across the province over the five-year period from 2021 to 2025, averaging about 184 cases per year.

This year alone, 123 such incidents had already been reported through July.

Incidents tend to concentrate in August and September, when heat is at its most intense, accounting for 20.3 percent of all cases over the period.

Recent weeks have seen a string of attacks. On July 11, a woman in her 50s in Gyeongju was bitten on the hand by her own large dog and called 119 for assistance.

On July 22, a man in his 50s in Chilgok-gun was bitten by a neighbor's dog and taken to a hospital by emergency responders for treatment.

The fire service outlined several safety guidelines to prevent dog bites: avoid approaching or touching unfamiliar dogs, refrain from provoking a dog when it is agitated, and if a threatening dog is spotted, keep a safe distance and alert those nearby.

Anyone bitten by a dog should thoroughly rinse the wound under running water, apply pressure to stop any bleeding, and seek treatment at a nearby medical facility.

If the wound is deep or bleeding is severe, call 119 immediately.

"A significant number of dog bite incidents can be prevented simply by following basic safety rules," said Seong Ho-seon, chief of the North Gyeongsang Provincial Fire Service. "In an emergency, please do not hesitate — call 119 right away."