Online Reporter
THERE’S no point in sugar-coating the topic; dog bites are a serious problem and more than 4,5 million are bitten by dogs every year.
It’s irresponsible to lay blame without having the facts. It’s just as foolish to ignore the problem and pretend that the poor dog had terrible owners.
Sometimes, the beloved family pet inflicts bite injuries.
Certain breeds have risen consistently to the top for causing severe dog bite injury that seek medical attention. Breed-specific legislation has been proven that it doesn’t provide the right solution and might even create a false sense of security.
Key Stats at a Glance
- Dogs are the third deadliest creature on Earth.
- Dogs bite more than 4.5 million people annually.
- A large percentage of dog bite victims are children.
- There were 58 recorded dog bite fatalities in the US.
- Pitbulls are responsible for 66.9% of deaths.
- California leads in dog bite claims across the US.
- Annually, tens of millions of dog bites occur worldwide.
Part of that is the sheer number of dogs in the world. Statistics show that there are between 700 million to 1 billion dogs (pet and unowned).
In underdeveloped nations, 30,000 people die yearly, and at least 59,000 people die from rabies, which is mostly transmitted by dogs.
Dog attack stats by the American Veterinary Medical Association in the US reveal that dogs bite more than 4.5 million people annually.
The vast majority of bites are underreported, but over 800,000 people bitten by dogs require medical attention. According to 2019 population figures, 1 out of 73 are victims of dog bites.
Among 4.5 million bite victims, a large percentage of them are children.
Hospital Emergency Departments treat 885,000 patients who seek medical care from bites; 370,000 of those need emergency attention, and 16 deaths occur. Children are more vulnerable and receive 70% of all bite-related deaths.
In 2021, there were 81 deadly dog attacks in the United States, the highest number ever reported by CDC data. This represents a 69% rise from 2019 and a 131% increase from 2018.
From 2005-2019, dogs killed 521 Americans, and in 2019, there were 48 dog bite-related fatality incidents.
In 2023, dogs attacked nearly 5,800 Postal employees. Letter carriers receive training to prevent dog bite attacks but still become bite victims that require emergency care treatment.
In 2020, nearly 6,000 postal worker and mail carriers were victimised compared to 5803 in 2019.
Pit bulls are responsible for 66.9% (380) of these deaths.
Breed specific legislation is a turbulent topic. Each side of the debate brings valuable content to try and help resolve the ongoing issue.
What remains a fact is that the Pitty keeps making the list of dogs responsible for fatal dog bite incidents.
Pit bulls (346) and Rottweilers (51) were involved in 76% (397) of total fatal dog bites.
The other fatal dog attacks involved 35 different dog breeds. German shepherds (with 238 PSI bite force) were responsible for 4.2% (24) of the attacks.
As per Colorado Injury Law, although Pitbulls and Rottweilers make up only 6% of dogs in the US, they’re responsible for 77% of all dog bites.
Pitbulls and Rottweilers may seem to be on trial, but the figures don’t lie.
- 77% of fatal bites come from Pittys and Rotties
- Pittys will bite 2.5 times more likely in multiple anatomical locations (hands and feet)
- Pit bull attacks on strangers are 31% more likely
- Pittys can attack 48% more likely without cause
- Pitty victims are more likely to die and have increased serious injuries and hospital costs than other breeds.
Among 81 dog bite-related fatalities in 2021, 20 were caused by Pit Bulls, according to Dogbite.
Many Pitty rescue missions believe in saving pittys.
However, Pittys are perceived as one of the aggressive dog breeds and are on the list for being responsible for the most fatal dog attacks.
Pit bull defenders blame the dog owners and argue that dog bite statistics only tell half the story. − xcaliburchiropracticpc.com
