A new study shows that more than 86,000 people a year end up in the emergency room because they tripped over the family pet . Judy Stevens, whose research focuses on preventing falls in senior citizens, said she’s often heard people explain that they were tripped up by the family pet, but until now there were no data to show how common a problem it really is. On the street, the only time I’ve ever fallen with/over them was when crossing Central Park West, a woman walking a slightly aggressive dog, talking on her phone (not paying attention to me, my dogs, or the traffic) ran up behind me. I do wonder about the flip side of the question, because I have a neighbor whose dog died after being stepped on and have stepped on my own dog’s paws countless times– how many pet injuries occur due to being stepped/tripped on? I’ve tripped over my dog several times, usually while getting into or out of bed in the dark, but there’s never been a serious injury to either of us. I’ve never tripped over one of my dogs, but I’ve tripped over a cat many times.

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