What is a dog bite?

While the question seems simple enough,  the answer is often not what we imagine.

Over the past 3 decades, increased awareness of the importance of humane care and control of dogs, the enactment and enforcement of leash laws, and dog bite prevention education, have all been instrumental in lowering the number of reported dog-related injuries nationwide.

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Do Pit Bulls in Washingon State Inflict Injuries Unlike Other Dogs?

A study* was conducted of 40 children (aged 0 to 16) who had been admitted to two  hospitals in Washington State and a hospital in Missouri for severe dog bite injuries.  These admissions had taken place over a period of nine years. The hospitals were:

Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, Washington (23 patients)
Mary Bridge Hospital, Tacoma, Washington (5 patients)
Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri (12 patients)

Three of the 40 children died as a result of their injuries.  All three fatalities occurred in Washington.

Of the 37 admissions for non-fatal dog bites, the average hospital stay was 6 days; and 12 of the children spent time in the intensive care unit. The most common injuries were to the face, head, and neck area (82%). Major surgical procedures on these patients included craniotomy, exploration of the neck or abdomen, ocular procedures, and repair of fractures.

All the victims had soft tissue damage.   

16 of the children had fractures, 13 of which were to the skull or facial bones.

Dogs identified as other than "pit bull" dogs were responsible for 36 of the 40 incidents of death or hospitalization due to severe dog bite injuries.

Further, none of the dogs involved in the three fatalities were identified as "pit bull" dogs.

*“Severe Dog Bites in Children,”  Thomas V. Brogan, Susan L. Bratton, M. Denise Dowd, and Mary A. Hegenbarth.  Pediatrics, Vol. 96 No. 5 November 1995, pp. 947-950

Dog bite-related fatalities are exceedingly rare in every state, including Washington.

Washington has a population of 6,664,195 people and is the 13th most populous state. 

Over the past 48 years (1965 – present) there have been 9 dog bite-related fatalities in Washington. The victims were 2 adults and 7 children.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in a single year, 2009, three (3) times as many Washington children died as a result of abuse or neglect than the total of all children involved in dog bite-related fatalities in the state from 1965-2009.

The difference between a Resident Dog and Family Dog

Resident dogs are dogs whose owners maintain them in ways that isolate them from regular positive human interactions. Resident dogs cannot be expected to exhibit the same behavior as family dogs. The overwhelming majority of resident dogs living isolated lives without positive human interaction never harm anybody. 

Family dogs are dogs whose owners afford them the opportunity to learn appropriate behaviors and who interact with humans on a regular basis in positive and humane ways.

Six (6) of the 9 dog bite-related fatalities in Washington involved dogs who were kept by owners as Resident dogs and were not maintained as Family dogs.

Breed attribution in dog bite-related fatalities is unreliable

Recent developments in canine genetics, along with extensive surveys conducted by university researchers, show that breed identification of dogs of unknown origin based on visual inspection does not correspond with DNA analysis of the same dogs. Equally important, the professionals surveyed disagreed with each other when they attributed a breed or mix of breeds of the same dog. 

Unfounded assumptions about the significance of breed and misplaced confidence in visual breed identification have diverted us from a consideration of factors pertinent to the discussion of community safety and dog ownership.

Criminal Charges Increasing Nationally

Authorities conduct criminal investigations on nearly all dog bite-related fatalities.  The number of cases that have resulted in criminal charges being filed against an owner or caretaker is increasing nationwide.

Dog Bite-Related Fatalities in Washington

2013: To date, there has not been a dog bite-related fatality in Washington. 

2012: There was not a dog bite-related fatality in Washington. 

In 2011, 2010, and 2009 there were no dog bite-related fatalities in Washington. 

A report on all of the dog bite-related fatalities that occurred from 2000 through 2009 is currently in preparation.  

National Canine Research Council Investigative Reports on Dog Bite-Related Fatalities

Dog bite-related fatalities have always been exceedingly rare, yet they can attract the kind of publicity that creates an impression that they are more prevalent than they actually are. The annual total of such fatalities has risen and fallen with no significant pattern or trend, while the ratio of dogs to humans in the U.S. remains one of the highest in the world. 

Official reports often do not agree with news accounts and/or contain important information that was either unavailable, or not of interest, to reporters at the time of the incident. Official investigations can take up to two years to complete.

NCRC continues to assemble the most accurate and comprehensive information available. Based on our 20 years of experience investigating dog bite-related fatalities, we will supplement or correct initial media reports with relevant, material information in over 90% of the incidents. 

At the beginning of each calendar year, we will issue a preliminary report on the year prior.  Final reports for each year will be released one year after the end of each calendar year. 

[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Compressed Mortality File 1999-2009. CDC Wonder Online Database. Retrieved from: http://wonder.cdc.gov/cmf-icd10.html

[2] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (n.d.). Traffic Safety Facts: 2009 Data, Pedestrians. Retrieved from: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811394.pdf

[3] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Compressed Mortality File 1999-2009. CDC Wonder Online Database. Retrieved from: http://wonder.cdc.gov/cmf-icd10.html

[4] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (n.d.). Traffic Safety Facts: 2009 Data, Pedestrians. Retrieved from: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811394.pdf

[5] Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, Children’s Bureau. (2010). Child Maltreatment 2009. Retrieved from: http://archive.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm09/cm09.pdf

[6] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (n.d.). Traffic Safety Facts: 2009 Data, Bicyclists and Other Cyclists. Retrieved from: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811386.pdf

[7] Null, J. (2009). 2009 Hyperthermia Deaths of Children in Vehicles. Retrieved from: http://ggweather.com/heat/hyperthermia2009.htm

[8] National Canine Research Council. (2010). Investigative Reports for Dog Bite-Related Fatalities: 2009. Retrieved from: http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/tinymce/2009%20Final%20Report%20DBRF.pdf