Dog-bite-related fatalities - United States, 1995-1996

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, May 30, 1997

Three categories of strategies can be considered for preventing dog bites:

1. Owner and public education. Dog owners, through proper selection, socialization, training, care, and treatment of a dog, can reduce the likelihood of owning a dog that will eventually bite (7). Male and unspayed/unneutered dogs are more likely to bite than are female and spayed/neutered dogs (7). Educational and prevention efforts should be directed at parents and children. Veterinarians and pediatricians should address strategies for bite prevention, including the need for appropriate supervision of children. Other strategies include dissemination of information on preventing bites (see box), school-based educational programs on bite prevention and canine behavior, and educational programs regarding responsible dog selection, ownership, and training.

2. Animal control at the community level. Animal-control programs should be supported, and laws for regulating dangerous or vicious dogs should be promulgated and enforced vigorously (8). For example, in this report, 30% of DBRFs resulted from groups of owned dogs that were free roaming off the owner's property. Some of these deaths might have been prevented through more stringent animal-control laws and enforcement. Although some breeds were disproportionately represented in the fatal attacks described in this report, the representation of breeds changes over time (Table 1). As a result, targeting a specific breed may be unproductive; a more effective approach may be to target chronically irresponsible dog owners (9).

3. Bite reporting. Evaluation of prevention efforts requires improved surveillance for dog bites. Dog bites should be reported as required by local or state ordinances, and reports of such incidents should include information about the circumstances of the bite; ownership, breed, sex, age, spay/neuter status, and history of prior aggression of the animal; and the nature of restraint before the bite incident.

Dogs provide many health and social benefits (10). Most of the approximately 55 million dogs in the United States never bite or kill humans. However, the findings in this report indicate that DBRFs continue to occur and that most are preventable. HSUS and the U.S. Postal Service have designated June 9-13, 1997, as National

Dog Bite Prevention Week. Additional information about preventing dog bites is available from HSUS, 100 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037; telephone (202) 452-1100, or on the World-Wide Web at http//:www.hsus.org.

(*) An on-line service containing information from newspapers, magazines, wire services, and broadcast transcripts.

References

(1.) Sacks JJ, Sattin RW, Bonzo SE. Dog bite-related fatalities from 1979 through 1988. JAMA 1989;262:1489-92.

(2.) Sacks JJ, Lockwood R, Hornreich J, Sattin RK Fatal dog attacks, 1989-1994. Pediatrics 1996; 97:891-5.

(3.) Lockwood R. Humane concerns about dangerous dog laws. University of Dayton Law Review 1988;13:267-77.

(4.) Lockwood R, Rindy K. Are "pit bulls" different? An analysis of the pit bull terrier controversy. Anthrozoos 1987;1:2-8.