For purposes of analyzing dog bite data or statistics, there are four classifications for dog bites:
- Unreported dog bites
- Minor dog bites
- Serious to severe dog bites
- Fatal dog bites
Unreported dog bites:
In 1994, the CDC conducted a telephone survey of American households in an effort to estimate how many persons had been bitten by a dog in the previous 12 months. In 5,328 completed telephone interviews, a response rate of approximately 56%, respondents reported 196 dog bites to children and adults. The researchers then estimated that there had been 4.7 million dog bites during the 12 months preceding the survey.
There is no national system which collects dog bite data.
Whatever the actual annual number of incidents, researchers generally agree that a significant number have always gone unreported. This undisputed fact, it seems to us, leads to an interesting question. If the victim of a dog-related injury deems it worthy of neither medical attention nor an incident report, what then should be the level of public or medical concern? Should society bother itself about events that were of such small concern to the victim?
Minor bites:
Injuries that have no lasting physical effects: Any bruising and/or break in the skin (scratch or puncture) from a dog’s tooth or nail that requires no treatment or a minimum amount of treatment (i.e., wound cleaning, tetanus and/or antibiotics).
At least 90% of all dog bites are classified as minor bites.
Serious / severe bites:
Single or multiple bites that result in multiple deep punctures, lacerations or avulsions requiring suturing or surgery, and which may, on rare occasion, require hospitalization. (Also included in this category are less serious bites that have become infected and require hospitalization.)
Between 1 and 10% of all reported dog bites fall in the category of serious/ severe. This has been consistent result despite the increase or decrease in the overall number of dog bites.
During the past decade, the average number of hospital admissions per year due to dog bite related injuries:
- Utah: 10
- Delaware: 26
- Hawaii: 29
- Nevada: 91
- Colorado: 118
- Virginia: 125
- Pennsylvania: 509
In fact, dog bite victims who present to emergency rooms are less likely to be hospitalized than others who go to emergency rooms. Every year, approximately 5% of all patients who go to the ER because of illness or accident are then admitted to the hospital. Of those who go to the ER because of a playground accident, more than 3% are thereafter hospitalized.
By contrast, fewer than 2% of dog bite sufferers are admitted.
Fatal bites:
Fatal dog bites/attacks are exceedingly rare. Additionally, despite the claims of organizations and individuals that have recently begun to track the number of fatal dog attacks, there has been no increase in the incidence rate of fatal dog attacks compared to previous decades.
The number of fatalities can fluctuate significantly from year to year, and consequently, no single year can be used as an indicator of increasing or decreasing incidence of fatal canine aggression.
For example:
- In 1990 there were 32
- In 1991 there were 16
- In 1999 there were 27
- In 2000 there were 19
- In 2007 there were 34
- In 2008 there were 24
FATAL DOG ATTACKS IN THE UNITED STATES:
NCRC investigation of over 40 years (1965-2006), of fatal dog attacks in the U.S. has conclusively identified the ownership/management practices that are at the root of these rare, and mostly preventable, incidents:
Function of Dog – Owners obtaining dogs, and maintaining them as resident dogs outside of the household for purposes other than as family pets (i.e. guarding/ protection, fighting, intimidation/status).
Owner Management & Control of Dogs – Owners failing to humanely contain, control and maintain their dogs (chained dogs, loose roaming dogs, cases of abuse/neglect); owners failing to knowledgably supervise interaction between children and dogs.
Reproductive Status of Dog – Owners failing to spay or neuter animals not used for competition, show, or in a responsible breeding program.
2006: Analysis of Fatal Dog Attacks in the United States
Function of Dog - In 2006, 78% of the owners of dogs involved in fatal attacks maintained the dogs not as household pets, but as guard dogs, fighting dogs, intimidation dogs, breeding dogs, or yard dogs.
Owner Management & Control - In 2006, 84% of the owners of dogs involved in fatal attacks either maintained their dogs on chains or in pens, allowed the dogs to run loose, neglected or abused their dogs, and/or allowed children to interact with unfamiliar dogs.
Reproductive Status of Dog - In 2006, 97% of the owners of dogs involved in fatal attacks failed to spay or neuter their animals.
***
Do Certain Breeds of Dogs Inflict Injuries Different from Other Breeds?
Dog Attacks: Comparison of injuries by breed
National Canine Research Council