Loose dogs are a problem. Bites are not always the cause of an injury. Loose dogs can cause injury even when the loose dog is a good boy/girl.
I have dogs. I love dogs. I don't like dealing with the situation when a loose dogs comes running up to me, especially when I am walking my two leashed dogs. I am not a dog psychiatrist, but I have read a bit on how to handle the situation when an unleashed dog approached your leashed dogs. When you have two dogs on a leash, the problem grows significantly. Leashed dogs can and do perceive unleashed dogs as a threat. It is very difficult to control two large leashed dogs if they perceive a threat.
Injuries can and do occur even without a bite. People will hurt knees, backs, ankles, shoulders and whatever other body part that can be traumatized by trying to hold on to dogs that are being threatened. I have personally seen multiple dog owners seeing this situation developing with their loose dog. The loose dog owner either has no comprehension of what can go wrong or doesn't care.
Most Texas cities have "dogs at large" municipal laws. Galveston and Houston and other area cities have "leash laws". Animals running at large are illegal, even on the Galveston beaches. People with loose dogs frequently say something to the effect of "my dog is gentle". The responsible dog owner with their dogs on a leash doesn't know the loose dog's disposition, the leashed dogs can and do perceive the loose dogs as a threat and injuries can occur and do occur just trying to keep your loose dogs under control.
Call animal control if you see a loose dog. Try to identify the address or a license plate on a vehicle. It's not a good idea to confront the loose dog owner. The loose dog owner, if they allow their dog to run loose, probably doesn't care about the problems it's causing the responsible dog owner with their dogs on a leash.
You can sue the dog owner if you are injured by a loose dog. If the loose dog owner has home owner's insurance, the home owner's insurance may provide coverage for the loose dog owner's negligence. In Texas you can sue a dog owner for the negligent handling of their dog. If the dog has known vicious history, that is another avenue of recovery against the dog owner. If you get hurt as a result of a loose dog, if possible try to gather enough information to identify the owner. A home address will go a long way in tracking someone down. If you have emergency injuries, obviously call for help.
I love dogs. If you have dogs then you probably do too. However, if a dog owner allows their dog to run loose, even if it is a small, white fluffy dog with ribbons in its hair, this can and does lead to serious problems with leashed dogs on a walk.
If you sustain an injury as a result of an at large dog running loose, call my office..