Dog Bite Injury Statistics
Table of Contents:
California animal bites attorneys report that according to the CDC dog bite injury statistics, someone in the United States must get medical attention for a dog bite every 40 seconds. California dog bite laws often come into play. At least 800,000 people receive dog or pet bites yearly in the U.S.
So if you aren’t interested in thwarting dog attacks, you could become injured. Also, most of these dog bites need immediate medical care and emergency treatment. Most of the bite victims are children. The majority of human victims get mauled or bitten on their faces. Almost $165 million is spent treating dog bites. 70% of dog bites occur on the animal owner’s property.
CDC Dog Bite Injury Statistics.
Important: Dog bites result in approximately 44,000 facial injuries each year. So this represents between 0.5% and 1.5% of all hospital emergency room visits. Male patients outnumber females only slightly. Unfortunately, children are 60% of all dog bite victims. In children less than ten years of age, severe injuries occur almost exclusively.
The most frequent target is the face (77% of all casualties). 97% of attacks to mail carriers happen to lower extremities like the legs or feet. Each spring brings a new crop of horrible injuries. The average stay of severely injured patients is 4.2 days. Eighteen deaths a year are caused by dog bites. https://www.caninejournal.com/dog-bite-statistics/
What’s Your Risk of a Dog Bite?
Drilling Down the Dog Bite Statistics.
Even the calmest and the most well-trained pet may still present a risk to the general public. Each year, hundreds of dog attacks result in even more injuries. Mainly at risk are young children, who are most commonly bit by dogs. In other cases, dogs are also responsible for fatal attacks, especially among kids. Unfortunately, not only are the humans affected by such attacks, but certain dog breeds get singled out due to such attacks and the notoriety they garner.
Understanding the Rates of Deadly Dog Bites.
Forbes researched the topic and found that there are significant differences by breed. Dog breeds generally considered aggressive, such as the Pit Bull and the Rottweiler were top among the risk of severe injury or even death.
Furthermore, a CDC study found similar results. In this analysis, the Pit Bull was more likely to bite than other breeds. In this case, the breed was responsible for 60 highlighted incidents.
The second was the Rottweiler with 29 and the German Shepherd with 19. Furthermore, Pit Bulls make up just 6.5% of all dogs in the United States. However, the breed is responsible for 66% of all dog bite fatalities.
In the second place, similar to the CDC data, was the Rottweiler.
In third place again was the German Shepherd. But even generally calm dogs such as the Labrador Retriever was among the top ten dog bite fatalities.
On Forbes lists of most fatalities caused by dog breeds:
- Pitbull: 284
- Rottweiler: 45
- German Shepherd: 20
- Mixed-breed: 17
- American bulldog: 15
- Mastiff or Bullmastiff: 14
- Husky: 13
- Labrador Retriever: 9
- Boxer: 7
- Doberman Pinscher: 6
What are the Various Types of Dog Attack Personal Injuries?
Dog bites usually result in cuts and lacerations, abrasions, crushing wounds, degloving, punctures, broken bones, crushed eye sockets, crushed skulls, and even severe brain injuries. These types of injuries often result in permanent scars. Among the areas of the face targeted include the lips, nose, chin, and cheeks. As dog ownership increases, so do the number of dog attacks and maulings.
Most owners are unaware of how to care for larger and more aggressive breeds of dogs properly, and many do not want to know. Several owners keep larger breeds for the “gangster” stigma attached. So they breed and keep them around the premises as a status symbol. Consequently, most biting incidents involve places where folks have gathered socially.
Important: Did you know that 61% of the time, the attack occurs close to the dog’s home or where the victim lives? Most often, the bite victim's attacked was brought on by a “friendly” dog known to him or her.
No one can accurately predict what provokes a friendly dog to attack. Sometimes, the dog is in pain, sick, panicked, threatened, frightened. But it could involve any number of factors. Small children may unknowingly provoke a dog to attack. That is why parents and dog owners should never leave children unattended around dogs of any breed or size.
Sporting breeds are more likely to attack rather than hounds. Immature, new puppies are more likely to inflict injury than adult dogs. As mentioned, there are social “gangster” trends towards keeping and aggressively training dangerous breeds. Again, tough guys and gangster types as other immature owners maintain the trend alive.
What is a “Guard Dog”?
“Guard Dogs” are aggressively trained to protect property and premises. As a matter of fact, any dog can bite.
But as noted above, some breeds are trained to be aggressive, like:
- Rottweilers.
- German Shepherds.
- American Stafford-shire Terriers.
- Huskies.
- Dobermans.
- Akitas.
- Chows.
- Pit Bulls.
As the population of large dog breeds has increased, so has the severity of bite injuries. Also, 44% of reported bites were by larger German shepherds. But these remain only 22% of all licensed breeds reportedly owned in the U.S. Also, less than 20% of dog attacks involved smaller “toy” breeds. Licensed strains made up 40% of the attacks.
Bull Terriers and Kids!
In fact, Bull Terriers are the most common culprits of dog attacks on children in urban areas. 94% of the time, these attacks remain unprovoked. In any event, most of the time, the animal is roaming neighborhoods freely, unsupervised. But any dog can and will bite. Also, as stated above, several factors remain at play in each attack.
Some dogs get bred for their aggressive tendencies. Also, early socialization of the animal will help in lowering the dog’s tendency to bite or attack unprovoked.
Important: As the old saying goes: “there are no bad dogs, just bad owners.” Mistreated, abused, malnourished dogs remain more likely to bite than dogs cared for properly.
Dangerous Zones to Avoid With Dogs.
If you invade the dog’s “territory,” threaten its family or make it jealous, you create a danger zone between you and the dog. Avoid these situations with potentially vicious canines.
You should try to avoid:
- If they are lying quietly, avoid approaching or bending over dogs.
- Also, immediately after entering their territory, avoid approaching the dog.
- Don’t tease or wake a sleeping dog.
- Avoid playing with a dog to over-excitement or annoyance.
Never Do The Following:
- Allow your dog to roam the streets or go unleashed.
- Go up to a strange dog without speaking with the owner.
- Tease a dog.
- Startle a dog.
- Disturb a dog caring for puppies.
- Leave a small child unattended around a dog of any breed.
- Ignore aggressive behavior warning signals.
- Forget to keep up with all vaccinations.
- Hold your face close to a dog.
- Eat from a dog food dish to be funny while the dog is eating.
Important Things To Remember About Attacking Dogs:
- A threatened dog will attack.
- Don’t run from or scream at a dog.
- Don’t stare a dog right in the eye; it will take that as a threat.
- If approached by an unfamiliar dog, do not try to pet or be familiar with it.
- If a large dog knocks you over, go into the fetal position, and stay still!
Steps to Stabilize a Dog Bite.
If you or a loved one was bitten by a dog, there are several steps you should take. Make sure to wash out the affected area and seek medical attention. Even house dogs are at risk of carrying diseases, including rabies. Document the injuries well and contact a skilled legal professional. To speak with an experienced and noteworthy dog bite attorney, contact us at (213) 596-9642.
