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North Carolina

Are Dogs A Real Danger?

A National Canine Research Council Perspective Report

Over the past 43 years (1965 - present) there have been 25 fatal dog attacks in North Carolina, or approximately one (1) fatality every 1 to 2 years.

At least eleven (11) different breeds/types of dogs have been identified as having been involved in fatal attacks in North Carolina.

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

The victims were: 7 adults and 18 children.

Of the 18 child victims of dog attacks, 43% were attacked by chained dogs.

A significant number of the fatal dog attacks in North Carolina were the result of extreme abuse, negligence or recklessness on the part of dog owners and/or a parent:

In 1986, a 4-year-old Forest City boy was killed when he wandered over to a neighbor's blind, chained dog.  The dog had been blinded by a shotgun blast to the face a few years earlier and had spent its entire existence chained to a stake in the backyard.

In 1989, a Forsyth man received a 5 year conviction for involuntary manslaughter after his two loose dogs mauled a man jogging past his home.

In 2002, an unsupervised 2-year-old girl was mauled to death by a neighbor's emaciated and starving chained dog.

In 2004,  R. Dumas was arrested after his 8-year-old son was killed in his backyard by his four dogs. He plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He was later found guilty on two federal charges of using and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and intimidation of a mailman. (While Dumas and his girlfriend did not hear his son being attacked by the dogs in his backyard, a mailman across the street did. The mailman attempted to save the boy and then banged on the door for assistance from the father/owner. Dumas responded by threatening to kill the mailman.)

In spite of the abusive and dangerous ownership practices of some dog owners, dogs still pose an incredibly low risk for causing a fatality:

Fatal Dog Attacks in North Carolina as Compared to Other Selected Risks:

Snapshot of North Carolina:                 Year  2004

Persons killed by dogs:  2
Child deaths after being left in hot cars:  2
Persons killed by lightning:  3
Death from contact w/bees, hornets or wasps:  4
Persons drowned in bathtub or swimming pool: 17
Bicycle-related fatalities: 27
ATV-related fatalities: 40

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

In 2005, thirty-seven (37) North Carolina children died as the result of abuse or neglect.

In a SINGLE YEAR, 2005, more the TWO TIMES as many North Carolina children died from abuse or neglect than the TOTAL from ALL dog attacks in North Carolina over the past 43 years.

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

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