Fatal Dog Attacks
According to CDC data, every year in the United States there are an average of 31 fatalities due to fatal dog attacks. Of these, approximately 60% involve adults, 31% involve children, and 9% involve infants. Since 2016, at least 44 different breeds and mixed breeds have been involved in fatal dog attacks in the U.S. including: Akita, Boxer, Chow Chow, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Giant Schnauzer, Husky, Labrador Retriever, Mastiff, Pitbull-Type, Rottweiler, and many other breeds and mixes. Scientific studies have determined that the most common causes of fatal dog attacks are preventable factors related to irresponsible ownership, abuse and/or neglect, failure to neuter dogs, and failure to properly supervise large or strong dogs around infants and children. Contrary to unreliable information about breed-specific risk related to certain breeds and dog types, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the CDC, and multiple peer-reviewed studies have concluded that a dog's breed does not determine aggression, bite strength, or risk. While every fatal dog attack is tragic, the majority of dog bite-related fatalities (DBRFs) are the result of human-controlled factors specific to the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Dog Bite-Related Fatality Statistics
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Statistics, fatal dog attack data, and breed risk rates:
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25+Number of different breeds associated with fatal dog attacks in the U.S. identified in a CDC study that analyzed 20 years of dog bite-related fatality (DBRF) data. Source: CDC DBRF study |
44+Number of different breeds involved in fatal dog attacks in the U.S. since only 2016, confirming that serious dog bite-related incidents are not a breed-specific issue. Source: Recent DBRF data |
12+Number of different breeds with similar risk rates for dog bite-related fatalities (DBRFs) including: Malamutes, Chow Chows, Saint Bernards, Huskies, Great Danes, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, Mastiffs, Pitbull-Type dogs, Akitas, German Shepherds, and Bulldogs. Source: Breed DBRF risk rates |
0.00001%The risk of being fatally attacked by a dog (of any breed) given an average of 31 fatal attacks every year in the U.S. and a population of 330,000,000. According to CDC data, fatal dog attacks are exceedingly rare - lightning strikes cause more fatalities (~38/year) than dogs. Source: CDC DBRF+Lightning data |
17.6%Percentage of fatal dog attacks where valid breed determination was possible by expert evaluation and/or scientific breed identification methods (DNA analysis, etc.). Source: JAVMA study |
84.4%Percentage of fatal dog attacks that involve un-neutered dogs. Un-neutered dogs (of all breeds and both genders) are associated with higher rates of aggression. Source: JAVMA study |
Breeds Involved In Fatal Dog Attacks
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Breeds and mixes involved in fatal dog attacks in the U.S. since 2016:
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1. Akita
2. American Bulldog mix 3. Australian Cattle Dog mix 4. Belgian Malinois 5. Belgian Malinois-Bulldog mix 6. Boxer 7. Boxer mix 8. Brazilian Mastiff 9. Chow Chow mix 10. Coonhound 11. Dachshund mix 12. Doberman Pinscher 13. Dogo Argentino 14. Dutch Shepherd |
15. English Mastiff
16. French Bulldog mix 17. German Shepherd 18. Giant Schnauzer 19. Great Dane 20. Heeler-Mastiff mix 21. Husky mix 22. Husky-Australian Cattle Dog mix 23. Husky-Shepherd mix 24. Labrador Retriever 25. Labrador Retreiver mix 26. Labrador Retriever-Great Pyrenees mix 27. Labrador Retriever-Shepherd mix 28. Leopard Cur mix |
29. Malamute-Wolf Hybrid mix
30. Mastiff 31. Mastiff-Great Dane mix 32. Mastiff-Labrador Retriever mix 33. Mastiff-Presa Canario mix 34. Neapolitan Mastiff 35-38. Pitbull-Type and mixes ("Pitbull-type" includes at least 4 different breeds) 39. Queensland Heeler 40. Retriever-Hound mix 41. Rottweiler 42. Shepherd mix 43. South African Boerboel 44+. Other mixed breeds (various) |
Source: Recent DBRF data
Dog Bite-Related Scientific Studies
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Peer-reviewed studies on fatal dog attacks, breed risk, and aggression:
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Breed Risk Study Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association Co-occurrence of potentially preventable factors in 256 dog bite-related fatalities in the United States Conclusions: Breed does not determine risk. Preventable factors related to irresponsible ownership are the primary cause of dog bite-related fatalities. Source: Link to study |
Fatal Dog Attacks Study Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States Conclusions: Over 25 different breeds were associated with fatal dog attacks. For public safety, breed-neutral regulations are more effective. Source: Link to study |
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Breed Aggression Study Journal of Applied Animal Behaviour Science Human directed aggression in domestic dogs: Occurrence in different contexts and risk factors Conclusions: Breed does not determine aggression. Factors relevant to aggression include un-neutered dogs and dogs subjected to punishment-based training methods. Source: Link to study |
Breed Aggression Study Journal of Veterinary Behavior Comparison of golden retrievers and dogs affected by breed-specific legislation regarding aggressive behavior Conclusions: Breed does not determine aggression. There were no differences in aggression between the legislated breeds and the control group (golden retrievers). Source: Link to study |
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Bite Severity Study Irish Veterinary Journal Dog bite injuries to humans and the use of breed-specific legislation: A comparison of bites from legislated and non-legislated dog breeds Conclusions: Breed does not determine bite severity. There is no medical evidence of a difference between bites by legislated breeds and bites by other large or strong breeds. Source: Link to study |
Bite Severity Study Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science Defaming Rover: Error-based latent rhetoric in the medical literature on dog bites Conclusions: A selection of disputed medical studies on dog bites contained: "clear-cut factual errors, misinterpretations, omissions, exaggerations based on misunderstood or inaccurate statistics, and misinformation about the significance of breed". Source: Link to study |
Additional studies: Dog bite-related scientific studies
Position Statements on Breed Specific Legislation (BSL)
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Organizations that have rejected BSL as an effective approach for public safety include:
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National Animal Control Association (NACA) "Dangerous and/or vicious dogs should be labeled as such as a result of their actions or behavior and not because of their breed. Any dog may exhibit aggressive behavior regardless of breed. Additionally, breed specific legislation may create an undue burden to owners who otherwise have demonstrated proper pet management and responsibility." Link to position statement |
American Bar Association (ABA) "The American Bar Association urges all state, territorial, and local legislative bodies and governmental agencies to adopt comprehensive breed-neutral laws that ensure due process protections for owners, encourage responsible pet ownership and focus on the behavior of both dog owners and dogs, and to repeal any breed discriminatory or breed specific provisions." Link to position statement |
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The Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) "Canine temperaments are widely varied, and behavior cannot be predicted by physical features. The only predictor of behavior is behavior. The solution to preventing dog bites is education of owners, breeder, and the general public about aggression prevention - not legislation directed at certain breeds." Link to position statement |
The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) "The solution to preventing dog bites is education of owners, breeders, and the general public about aggression prevention and responsible dog ownership, not legislation directed at certain breeds" Link to position statement |
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Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) "There is no evidence that breed-specific laws reduce dog bites or attacks on people and they divert resources from more effective animal control and public safety initiatives. Breed-based policies are based on myths and misinformation, rather than science or credible data." Link to position statement |
The Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) "Canine temperaments are widely varied, and behavior cannot be predicted by physical features. The only predictor of behavior is behavior. The solution to preventing dog bites is education of owners, breeder, and the general public about aggression prevention - not legislation directed at certain breeds." Link to position statement |