Dog bites: Alarming statistic shows it a national problem

News Editor - - Should we worry about dogbites these days?  Statistics show it is a national problem.

 Kenneth Phillips said several years ago we should worry about dog bites because they happen enough that people should take precautions to prevent being bitten by a dog and to know what to do if it happens.

First Philips provides us what he refers to as "some alarming statistics on canine attacks."

Phillips claims that around 1,000 people in the United States are treated for dog bites every day. Most of the victims that require medical attention are children, half of whom are bitten in the face. 

These are the specific statistics given in 2006 on dog bites as a national problem, according to one source., another legal firm:

• There are approximately 65 million dogs in the United States in 2006


• Of the 4.7 million people are bitten every year, 800,000 need medical attention


• Every day an estimated 914 people seek emergency medical treatment due to dog bites


• On average, between 15 and 20 people die each year from dog maulings


• Children are the most common victims of dog bites, and half of the injuries they suffer occur on the face


• Economic losses from dog bites regularly exceed $1 billion, only a third of which is covered by insurance


• Between 1979 and 1996 there were 304 fatal dog attacks


• Most (77%) dog bite injuries occur to the friends or family


• Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, and German Shepard Dogs account for half of the fatal dog attacks between 1979 and 1998


• Dog bites rose 33% according to a study of a 7 year period in the 1990s


• There were 30 dog bite-related fatalities in California between 1979 and 1996


• In 2002 homeowner insurance claims paid on average $16,600 to victims of dog bites, up from $12,000 in 1998

For parents, this is strong warning, Phillips declares as he continues, "This should be an eye opener for parents, with authorities stressing the importance for guardians to watch over their children at all times where dogs may be present."

But what about the ordinary American neighborhood where it appears quiet and well-maintained.  Phillips tells us not to be fooled and that, "Even in reasonably peaceful neighbourhoods and suburban environments a dog can strike. There are certain characteristics of dogs you should keep clear of, such as if they are in a pack, tied up or chained or if they are in their own yard with no master present. These circumstances usually result in uncharacteristically violent behaviour in dogs, and parents should be wary of this" explains Brian Spieler, a dog bite lawyer.

So what does a person do if attacked?  The best advice is, "If ever somebody is attacked they should seek immediate medical attention and consider their options in pursuing compensation for damages they may be entitled to."  That is, unless the whole thing can be resolved between neighbors, one would suppose, as that too can happen.

In 2014 the problem continued.  On the other hand, those who work with specific breeds, such as pit bulls, point to research that shows there are no specific breed behaviors that are reflected in the statistics surrounding dog bites.

They tell us most of the dog bites occur because of how dogs are mistreated in many cases.  They may be tightly chained or physically punished in ways that increase aggression, leading to a fear of humans by dogs who are worried they will be mistreated.  They claim that dog bites are a human, not a dog, problem.

In any case, dog bites remain a serious problem.  Each year 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs and 1 in 5 require medical attention for them.

Pit bull controversies surround legislation and pit bull breeding

[caption id="attachment_10804" align="alignleft" width="480"] American Pit Bull terrier[/caption]

Lindsey Markham ---PETA, one of the world’s most famous animal activist groups, has declared there should be restrictions on breeding pit bulls.  Is this because there are animal specific behaviors, leading to this dog as being particularly aggressive or are there other reasons why people are concerned about pit bulls and why are there so many controversies and concerns concerning them?

The founder of PETA, Ingrid E. Newkirk  was the director of a large animal shelter in Washington D.C. for many years.  In her role as chief of animal disease control and working directly with animal care, she was the first to begin spay-and-neuter programs, according to the PETA website and also personally helped many abused and neglected dogs or dogs trained to attack people.

PETA’s concern is that pit bulls have difficulty finding homes, given the controversies surrounding their behavior, often in the news.  Stories in newspapers around the world regularly highlight the dangerousness of the pit bull, after citing an attack on a person, often a child or a smaller animal.   The bias against the pit bull has become part of the conscious thinking of many people, so these hard-to-place animals often have to be put down because there are no homes for them.    Besides many of them have also been raised to be aggressive and that makes placement even more of a problem.

It’s for those reasons PETA asserts there should be breeding restrictions for pit bulls.

But are there breed specific behaviors with reference to pit bulls that substantiates public anxiety about this type of dog?

ASCPCA offers an answer on the question.  The organization acknowledges that various breeds of dogs have certain characteristics that develop from the ancestry of dogs, the pit bull coming initially from Europe, most especially England,  from where many American settlers had come, bringing the pit bulls with them.  In these early years, pit bulls became part of a spectator sport where people watched animals fight, and the viewers made bets on who might win or lose.   Initially bulldogs are said to have been used to control livestock, then became involved in the “sport” called baiting, where they were trained to fight other pitbulls, bears, and large animals.  But does this mean pi tbulls now have an innate tendency to fight other animals?

According to ASCPCA, the pitbull, with its large, muscular body, can be trained to be aggressive.  Yet it can also be trained to be a family pet, with kind, loving care and socialization.  Given the history of the pit bull, however, ASCPCA maintains it is especially important for the pit bull to have better than average training in how to deal with other animals and around people.  That’s because they were once regarded as fine, kindly creatures before they gained their fighting reputations.  It is because of that reputation people have developed a bias against them.

The pit bull has only in recent years been the most controversial of dogs, in terms of potential for aggressive behavior.  in the 1970s  folks were concerned about German Shepherds, and in the 1980s, Doberman Pinschers.

Despite the fact that pet experts have indicated that with proper care, a pit bull can be a friendly pet, many states and municipalities have passed what is called BSL, or breed-specific-legislation.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control, however, conducted a study of the years from 1979 to 1998, finding 30 different types of dogs were responsible for human fatalities, with pit bulls being 1/3 of them.

But it is the pit bull who ends up on the national news when an attack ends in someone’s death, whereas the other breeds that kill are often only discussed in the local media.

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Lindsey Markham owned a pit bull throughout the dog's life, found the dog to be a good pet and offered this information for this journal to look at the pit bull in terms of the public bias  about this breed of dog.