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Georgia

Are Dogs A Real Danger?

A National Canine Research Council Perspective Report

Over the past 43 years (1965 - 2007) there have been 29 fatal dog attacks in Georgia, or approximately one (1) fatality every 1 to 2 years.

At least nine (9) different breeds/types of dogs have been identified as participating in a fatal attack in Georgia.

The victims were: 5 adults and 24 children.

All the dogs involved in fatal attacks in Georgia were intact (not spayed or neutered).

The overwhelming majority of fatal dog attack cases in Georgia involved extreme negligence, recklessness, abuse and/or criminal behavior on the part of owners. Many of these owners and/or parents were charged with criminal offenses; some received convictions and jail/prison sentences, others escaped conviction:

In 1986, H. Turnipseed received a 5-year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter after his three dogs, with a history of aggressive behavior, attacked and killed a young DeKalb boy.

In 1988, another DeKalb owner was convicted of owning a dangerous animal and reckless conduct when one of his nine chained dogs attacked and killed his girlfriend's child. The mother of the child was also convicted of reckless conduct.

In 1997, J. McTaggart and S. Randolph were both convicted of involuntary manslaughter after S. Randolph's child wandered into the backyard and was mauled to death by McTaggart's dogs.  The child lay dying in the yard for over two hours while his mother and her boyfriend were in a drug-induced stupor.

Other Georgia owners, with dogs obtained specifically for negative functions, (i.e., dog fighting, guard dogs for illegal activities) managed to escape felony convictions after their aggressively-encouraged dogs were involved in fatal attacks.

Many of the very young child victims of dog attacks in Georgia fell prey to dogs due to inadequate or negligent supervision by a parent(s):

In 2004, a 2-year-old Cook County girl  wandered off to a dog chained to an engine block and was attacked and killed. The mother of the child was later convicted of making a false statement to police.

In spite of the abusive, reckless and criminal behaviors of some dog owners and/or parents, dogs still pose an incredibly low risk of causing a fatality:

Fatal Dog Attacks in Georgia as Compared to Other Selected Risks:

Snapshot of Georgia:                             Year    2004

Persons killed by dogs:  1
Deaths from contact with wasps, bees or hornets:  3
Persons struck and killed by lightning:  4
Bicycle-related fatalities: 13
Persons drowned in swimming pools: 22
ATV-related fatalities: 27

Furthermore, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

In 2005, seventy-six (76) children died as the result of maltreatment (abuse or neglect) in Georgia.

In a SINGLE YEAR, 2005, more than THREE TIMES as many Georgia children died from maltreatment (abuse/neglect) than the TOTAL from ALL dog attacks over the past 43 years.

So, are dogs a danger?  Fact is, people in Georgia routinely accept far greater risks from ATVs, bicycles and swimming pools than any that are associated with companion animals.

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