The statistics on Dog Attacks in America are alarming. Each year the number of innocent children and adults seriously injured or killed by dogs in the United States increases dramatically. If a foreign government was to cause as many injuries and deaths, we would be at war. If a disease caused as much suffering and financial loss, we would be spending millions to conquer it.

 Q: How many dog bites occur every year in the United States?

A: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, estimates that nearly 2% of the U.S. population is bitten by a dog each year. This translates to more than 4.7 million people per year, most of whom are children.

Q: How many people die every year as a result of dog bites?

A: Ten to 20 people die every year as a result of dog bites in the U.S. By far, the majority of the victims are children. In a three-year period between 1999 and 2001, 33 people died after being bitten by a dog. A vast majority of these victims (24 of 33) were under 12 years of age.

Q: Why do some dogs bite?

A: There are many reasons why a dog bites. Dogs bite out of fear or to protect their territory or to establish their dominance over the person bitten. Some owners mistakenly teach their dogs that biting is an acceptable form of play behavior. And every year a number of newborn infants die when they are bitten by dogs who see them as "prey." Because dog bites occur for a variety of reasons, many components of responsible dog ownership—including proper socialization, supervision, humane training, sterilization, and safe confinement—are necessary to prevent biting.

Q: Which dogs most commonly bite?
                                Are some breeds more likely to bite than others?

A: The breeds most commonly involved in both bite injuries and fatalities changes from year to year and from one area of the country to another, depending on the popularity of the breed. Although genetics do play some part in determining whether a dog will bite, other factors such as whether the animal is spayed or neutered, properly socialized, supervised, humanely trained, and safely confined play significantly greater roles. Responsible dog ownership of all breeds is the key to dog bite prevention.