Global InformationList of fatal dog attacks in the United States information
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Fatal dog attacks in the United States cause the deaths of thirty to fifty people each year.[1] According to the National Center for Health Statistics, there were 468 deaths in the United States from being bitten or struck by a dog between 2011 and 2021.[2] This is an average of 43 deaths annually, ranging from a low of 31 deaths in 2016 and a high of 81 deaths in 2021.[2] More males were killed by dogs than females during the tracking decade.[2] Children between the ages of one to four are most often the victims, accounting for 29.4% of the fatalities from dog attacks in 2022; those under the age of seventeen accounted for 56.7% of all fatalities that year.[3]
Around 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs every year, resulting in some 800,000 seeking treatment from a doctor.[3][4] Dogs not only cause morbidity and mortality as a result of bites, but they may also transmit zoonotic infections, which may also result in illness or death.[5] It is estimated that 15% to 20% of dog bite wounds become infected, with occasional cases of meningitis and endocarditis leading to death.[5][6] However, less than 1% of the 4.5 million dog bite incidents in 2022 resulted in a fatality.[3]
A 2018 Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center literature review covering fifteen years of dog bites treated at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and the University of Virginia Health System, with meta-analysis by breed, found that dog bites were most likely to come from the following breeds (in order of highest incidents): pit bull, mixed breed, German shepherd, terrier, and Rottweiler.[7][8] Tracking by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) determined that pit bull type dogs were most likely to be involved in fatal attacks, accounting for 28% of fatalities from 1979 to 1998.[3] The AVMA documented 66 human fatalities caused by pit bull type dogs, 39 by Rottweilers, 17 by German shepherds, 15 by husky type dogs, 12 by Malamutes, 9 by Dobermann Pinschers, 8 by Chow Chows, 7 by Great Danes, and 7 by St. Bernard dogs.[3]
Alaska has more fatal dog bites per capita among the states of the United States.[3] Between 1979 and 2005, the states with the most dog bite fatalities per capita were Alaska, South Dakota, Idaho, New Mexico, Arkansas, and South Carolina (from highest to lowest).[4]
Below are lists of notable fatal dog attacks in the United States reported by the news media, published in scholarly papers, or mentioned through other sources. In the lists below, the dog type or breed is assigned by the sources.
- ^ Maniscalco, Kenneth; Edens, Mary Ann (2019), "Bites, Animal", StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, PMID 28613602, retrieved April 12, 2019
- ^ a b c "QuickStats: Number of Deaths Resulting from Being Bitten or Struck by a Dog, by Sex — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2011–2021". MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 72 (36): 999. 2023. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7236a6. ISSN 0149-2195. PMC 10495186. PMID 37676834 – via Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
- ^ a b c d e f "Dog Attack Statistics By Breed In 2024 – Forbes Advisor". www.forbes.com. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
- ^ a b Langley, Ricky L. (March 2009). "Human Fatalities Resulting From Dog Attacks in the United States, 1979–2005". Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. 20 (1): 19–25. doi:10.1580/08-WEME-OR-213.1. PMID 19364181.
- ^ a b Ghasemzadeh I, Namazi SH. :Review of bacterial and viral zoonotic infections transmitted by dogs". Journal of Medical Life. vol. 8, special issue 4 (2015):1-5. PMID: 28316698; PMCID: PMC5319273.
- ^ Presutti, R. John (2001-04-15). "Prevention and Treatment of Dog Bites". American Family Physician. 63 (8): 1567–1573. PMID 11327433.
- ^ "New study identifies most damaging dog bites by breed". American Animal Hospital Association. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
- ^ Essig Jr, Garth F; Sheehan, Cameron; Rikhie, Shefali; Elmaraghy, Charles A; Christophel, J Jared (February 1, 2019). "Dog bite injuries to the face: Is there risk with breed ownership? A systematic review with meta-analysis". International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. 117: 182–188. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2018.11.028. PMID 30579079. S2CID 57740754 – via ScienceDirect.