what you should know about dog bites
TRANSCRIPT
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 1/28
What You Should Know About
Dog Bites
Information compiled by:
Alex & Gaxiola, P.C.
www.alexandgaxiola.com
602-971-1775
2/17/2011 1
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 2/28
American Pet Products Association2009/2010 National Pet Owners Survey
62% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to71.4 millions homes
In 1988, the first year the survey was conducted, 56%
of U.S. households owned a pet as compared to 62%in 2008
6
38.245.6
3.913.3
0.74.7 5.3
0
1020
30
40
50
Bird Cat Dog Equine Fresh
water
fish
Salt
water
fish
Reptile Small
Animal
Number of Households Owning Pets
(in millions)
2/17/2011 2
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 3/28
CDC Statistics
4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs each
year
Almost one in five of those who are bitten: atotal of 885,000: require medical attention for
dog bite-related injuries.
In 2006, more than 31,000 people underwent
reconstructive surgery as a result of being
bitten by dogs.
2/17/2011 3
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 4/28
Fatal Dog Attacks in the US from 1965- 2001by Karen Delise
47
32
26
2219 18 18 17 16
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
California Texas Alaska Florida New York Michigan Illinois North
Carolina
Georgia
States with the Most Dog Bite Fatalities - 1965-2001
2/17/2011 4
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 5/28
79%
9%
12%
Hig st isk f i g itty ar lis
Children
Ages 0-11
2/17/2011 5
Elderly, Ages 65-94
Others, Ages 13-64
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 6/28
National Canine Research Council
Website
2/17/2011 6
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 7/28
National Canine Research Council
Website
2/17/2011 7
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 8/28
Study by Dogbite.org
April 22, 2009, they released their first multi-year report on U.S. dog bite fatalities
The report covered a 3-year period (January1, 2006 to December 31, 2008)
Report analyzed data collected from 88 dogbite incidences that caused death to a U.S.
citizen Report documents dog breed, where the
attack occurred and dog bite victim age.
2/17/2011 8
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 9/28
Results of Study by Dogbite.org
88 fatal dog attacks Pit bull type dogs were responsible for 59% (52 of 88)
this is equivalent to a pit bull killing a U.S. citizen every21 days during this 3-year period
The data also shows that pit bulls commit the vast
majority of off-property attacks that result in death Only 18% (16) of the attacks occurred off owner
property, yet pit bulls were responsible for 81% (13)
Pit bulls are also more likely to kill an adult than a child.
In the 3-year period, pit bulls killed more adults (ages21 and over), 54%, than they did children (ages 11 andyounger), 46%.
2/17/2011 9
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 10/28
Results of Study by Dogbite.org
88 fatal dog attacks
DogsBite.org founder Colleen Lynn adds, "The
off-property statistical data about pit bulls
shows just how dangerous they are." She
noted that six senior citizens were killed under
these circumstances: "Two were killed while
standing in their own backyard," she said.
"Four others were killed while taking amorning walk or getting the mail."
2/17/2011 10
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 11/28
Results of Study by Dogbite.org
88 fatal dog attacks In the 21-54 age group, pit bulls were responsible for 82%
(14) of the deaths.
The data indicates that pit bulls do not only kill children andsenior citizens; they kill men and women in their prime
years as well. The report also shows that of the six victim age groups
documented, the 55 and older group suffered the mostfatalities 26% (23), followed by the 2-4 age group 22% (19).
Between the ages of 0-4, the study reveals that 14% (12) of
the fatal attacks involved a "watcher," a person such as agrandparent or babysitter watching the child. Of theseattacks, 75% (9) involved a grandparent type.
2/17/2011 11
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 12/28
Insurance Information Institute
reports:
16,586 dog bites were reported to III throughoutthe US in 2009
Dog bite claims are up 30% from 2003 to 2009
2009 dog bite claims totaled more than $412million
± Higher than 2008s 387.2 million in claims
The cost per claim is up due to increased medicalcare costs and larger court settlements
The 2009 average cost per claim is$24,840, up1.5% from 2008
2/17/2011 12
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 13/28
Chicago TribuneFido puts bite on homeowners claims/August 17, 2010
Dog bite accounted for more than 1/3 of
insurance claims in 2009
Homeowners and renters insurance typicallycovers dog bites providing $100,000 to
$300,000 in coverage
But for people really who want to protect
their assets, the first $1 million of personal
excess liability insurance costs about $150 to
$300 a year2/17/2011 13
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 14/28
Merritt Clifton, Editor of Animal
People compiled these statistics:
Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. and
Canada (Sept. 1982 to Dec. 2009)
Combination of pit bulls, rottweilers, presacanarios and their mixes:
± 80% of attacks that induce bodily harm
± 69% of attacks to children
± 83% of attack to adults
± 68% of attacks that result in fatalities
± 74% that result in maiming
2/17/2011 14
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 15/28
Merritt Clifton, Editor of Animal
People compiled these statistics:
Even if the pit bull category was split 3 ways
attacks by pit bulls and their closest relatives
would still outnumber attacks by any other
breed
Pit bulls attack adults nearly as often as they
attack children ± A characteristic not shared by any other breed
2/17/2011 15
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 16/28
Merritt Clifton, Editor of Animal
People compiled these statistics:
1982-2009 chart:Breed Bodily harm Child Victims Adult Victims Deaths Maimings
Pit bull terrier 1451 628 499 153 777
Rottweiler 447 257 115 67 244
Wolf hybrid 81 67 4 19 45
Husky 49 32 4 17 13
German Shepherd 79 52 20 9 50
Bullmastiff (presa
canario)
48 17 20 8 26
Chow 52 35 14 7 34
Akita 50 34 14 1 41
*Chart ordered by number of deaths.
2/17/2011 16
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 17/28
JAMA reports:
By combining data from the National Center
for Health Statistics and a computerized
search of news stories they found:
157 dog bite related fatalities occurred in the
US from 1979 to 1988
70% of the 157 deaths occurred among
children less than 10 years old
Death rates for neonates was almost 370
times that of adults who were 30-49 years old2/17/2011 17
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 18/28
JAMA reports:
Pit bulls were involved in 42 (41.6%) of 101
deaths where dog breed was reported
± Almost 3 times more than German Sheppards (the
next most commonly reported breed)
Deaths attributable to pit bulls increased from
20% in 1979/1980 to 62% in 1987/1988
2/17/2011 18
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 19/28
The 3-year annualized, adjusted, and weighted
estimate of new dog bite-related injury visits
to US EDs was 333,687 ± a rate of 12.9 per 10,000 persons
± this represents approximately 914 new dog bite injuries
requiring Emergency Department (ED) visits per day.
± The median age of patients bitten was 15 years, with children,
especially boys aged 5 to 9 years, having the highest incidence rate
± Children seen in EDs were more likely than older persons to be
bitten on the face, neck, and head (73% vs 30%)
± For each US dog bite fatality it is estimated there are about
670 hospitalizations and 16,000 ED visits.
CONCLUSIONS:
Dog bite injuries are an important source of injury in the US population, especially
among children.
Improved surveillance and prevention of dog bite-related injuries, particularly
among children, are needed.
JAMA Survey:Incidence of dog bite injuries treated in emergency departments
JAMA. 1998 Jan 7;279(1):51-3.
2/17/2011 19
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 20/28
Emergency Department Study 2004ACTA Chir Belg. 2006 Nov-Dec; 106(6); 692-5
34 patients, bitten by cats or dogs, presented in ED in 2004
73.5% of them consulted with 24 hours after bite
In 11 (44.0%) primary closure of wound performed afterthorough rinsing and evaluation
9 patients (26.5%) did not present until a day after beingbitten ± They all consulted because of complications
CONCLUSION:
Cat and dog bites often cause minor lesions that can betreated by thorough wound care if presented early
The importance of possible late complications should not beoverlooked
2/17/2011 20
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 21/28
Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting
and Prevention Program website
Bites from cats and dogs owned as pets is verycommon in U.S. and Canada
Between 1 million and 2 million dog bites are
reported annually in both countries
Dog bite injuries account for 1% of all visits tohospital emergency departments
Dogs are responsible for 85% of all bitewounds
5-9 years old males are most frequent victims
2/17/2011 21
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 22/28
Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting
and Prevention Program website
Dog and cat bites occur most often in summerbetween 16:00 and 20:00
Up to 85% of dog and cat bites are caused by
victims family or by a neighbors pet ± About ½ of these bites are considered to be
provoked
455 families with 960 children were surveyed ± 20% of children bitten at least once
± Majority of children receiving bites before age 5
2/17/2011 22
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 23/28
Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting
and Prevention Program website
Dog and cat bites are more serious in children
as they are more likely to be bitten in the
face, neck and head
± In about 70% of the cases
Children account for the majority of deaths
from animal bites that occur annually in the
US
2/17/2011 23
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 24/28
Fatal Dog Attacks in the US from 1965- 2001by Karen Delise
Analyzed 431 cases over 35 years with the following results: ± 10% involved leashed dogs or misc. circumstances
± 17% resulted from attacks by dogs roaming off their ownersproperty
±
73% involved dogs within the boundaries of the ownersproperty
± 25% chained dogs
± 25% dogs in yard
± 23% dogs inside the home
Surprisingly, it made no difference whether or not the dogs werechained as 75% involved in fatalities were not chained, and yet thishas been frequently cited by animal rights proponents to causeaggression.
2/17/2011 24
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 25/28
Fatal Dog Attacks in the US from 1965- 2001by Karen Delise
79% of all fatal attacks were on children underthe age of 12
12% of the victims were the elderly, aged 65 94
9% of the victims were 13 - 64 years old
The age group with the highest number of fatalities were children under the age of 1 yearold;
± accounting for 19% of the deaths due to dog attack.
± Over 95% of these fatalities occurred when an infantwas left unsupervised with a dog(s).
2/17/2011 25
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 26/28
Fatal Dog Attacks in the US from 1965- 2001by Karen Delise
The age group with the second-highest
number of fatalities were 2-year-olds;
± accounting for 11% of the fatalities due to dog
attack.
± Over 87% of these fatalities occurred when the 2-
year-old child was left unsupervised with a dog(s)
± or the child wandered off to the location of thedog(s).
2/17/2011 26
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 27/28
Fatal Dog Attacks in the US from 1965- 2001by Karen Delise
Boys aged 1 - 12 years old were 2.5 times more likely tobe the victim of a fatal dog attack than girls of thesame age.
Overwhelmingly, the dogs involved in fatal dog attacks
were unaltered males. From 2000-2001 there were 41 fatal dog attacks. Of
these, 28 were attacks by a single dog and 13 fatalitieswere caused by multiple dogs.
Of the 28 single dogs responsible for a fatal attackbetween 2000-2001;26 were males and 2 were females. Of the 26 males,21 were found to be intact (the reproductive status of the remaining 5 males dogs could not be determined).
2/17/2011 27
8/7/2019 What You Should Know About Dog Bites
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-you-should-know-about-dog-bites 28/28
Fatal Dog Attacks in the US from 1965- 2001by Karen Delise
21%
16%13%
9%
5% 5% 4% 3% 3% 3% 3%
15%
0
5
10
1520
25