Dog bite & attack statistics
The most recently published statistics are from 1994. Other statistical sources provide estimates of dog-related injuries.
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In 2001, an estimated 68 million dogs were pets in the United States.
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In 2001, an estimated 368,245 victims were treated for dog bite related injuries.
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In 2001, children ages 5-9 had the highest dog-related injuries.
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In 2001, an estimated 42% of dog bites (or 154,625) occurred in children age 14 and younger.
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Approximately 7.9% of dog bites (or 16,476) were work-related.
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Dog bite injury sites for all victims include:
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45.3% to the arm/hand
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25.8% to the leg/foot
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22.8% to the head/neck.
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For children 4 years and under, 64.9% of injuries were to the head/neck.
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For those 15 and older, 86.2% of injuries from dog attacks were to the extremities.
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Types of dog-related injuries recorded in Emergency Rooms:
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26.4% as "dog bite"
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40.2% as "puncture"
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24.7% as "laceration"
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6.0% as "contusion/abrasion/hematoma
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1.5% as "cellulitis/infection"
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0.8% as "amputation/avulsion/crush"
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0.4% as "fracture/dislocation"
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From 1979 through 1996, dog attacks resulted in more than 300 human dog-bite related deaths in the United States. Most of the victims were children.
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In 1997 and 1998, at least 27 people died as a result of dog bite attacks (18 in 1997, and 9 in 1998). Of these, 19 were young children between zero and 11 years of age, and 8 were older children and adults between 17 and 87 years of age.
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Of the 27 people who died as a result of dog bite attacks in 1997 and 1998, 67 percent (18) involved unrestrained dogs on the owner's property; 19 percent (5) involved unrestrained dogs off the owner's property; 11 percent (3) involved restrained dogs on the owner's property; and 4 percent (1) involved a restrained dog off the owner's property.
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60 percent of the fatal dog bite attacks by unrestrained dogs that occurred off the owner's property in 1997 and 1998 involved attacks by more than one dog.
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Of the 27 people who died as a result of dog bite attacks during 1997 and 1998, 67 percent (18) involved an attack by one dog; 19 percent (5) involved an attack by two dogs; and 15 percent (4) involved an attack by 3 dogs.
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17 states accounted for the 27 dog bite fatalities that occurred in 1997 and 1998. They were: California (4 deaths); Georgia and North Carolina (3 deaths each); Kansas, Texas, and Wisconsin (2 deaths each); and Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, South Dakota, and Tennessee (1 death each).
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Rottweilers and Pit Bulls were involved in 60 percent of the 27 dog bite fatalities that occurred in 1997 and 1998. Rottweilers were involved in 10 deaths, and Pit Bulls were involved in 6.
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From 1979 through 1998, at least 25 breeds of dogs have been involved in 238 human dog bite related deaths. Pit Bulls and Rottweilers were involved in more than 50 percent of these deaths.
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Between 1979 and 1998, 58 percent of human deaths involved attacks by unrestrained dogs who were on their owner's property at the time of the attack.
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It has been estimated that about 4.5 million people (nearly 2 percent of the American population) are bitten by dogs each year.
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In 1994, of the estimated 4.7 million people who were bitten by dogs, 800,000 sought medical care. Of these, 332,000 sought treatment in emergency rooms, and 6,000 were hospitalized.
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It has been estimated that nearly 334,000 dog bite injuries are treated in emergency departments each year.
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Of those hospitalized for dog bite injuries in 1994, 55 percent were male.
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The average hospital stay for a dog-bite injury has been estimated at 3.6 days.
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In 1994, hospital charges for dog-bite victims was estimated at $62.5 million.
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In 1994, emergency department charges for dog-bite victims was estimated at $102.4 million, and direct medical care charges incurred as a result of dog bites was estimated at $164.9 million.
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If you, or someone you care about, have been injured by a dog, you can contact our law firm for a free evaluation by:
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Statistical Sources: Nonfatal Dog Bite-Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments - United States, 2001. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5226a1.htm. Vet Med Today: Special Report, Breeds of Dogs Involved in Fatal Human Attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998 (JAVMA, Vol. 217, No. 6, September 15, 2000); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Dog-Bite-related Fatalities - United States, 1995-1996 (MMWR, Vol. 46/No. 21, May 30, 1997).
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