Multi-year report ::

U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities: Breeds of Dogs Involved, Age Groups and Other Factors Over a 13-Year Period (2005 to 2017)

| By DogsBite.org

An analysis of dog bite fatalities over a 13-year period identifies the breeds of dogs involved, victim age groups, number of dogs involved, household factors, criminal charges and more.

U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities in 13-Year Period (2005 to 2017) Fatal dog attacks by breed (2005 to 2017)

Chart depicts dog breeds that killed ≥13 people during the 13-year period. 33 dog breeds contributed to ≤9 deaths and are excluded from this chart. 9.5% of all fatal attacks involved multiple breeds, thus the total number of deaths attributed to each breed will always exceed the actual number of deaths.

Summary: In the 13-year period of January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2017, canines killed at least 433 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 66% of these deaths. Rottweilers, the second leading canine killer, inflicted 10% of attacks that resulted in human death. Combined, two dog breeds accounted for 76% of the total recorded deaths. [Table 1] This report examines the breeds of dogs involved in fatal attacks on humans, age groups and genders of the victims, the number of dogs involved, family and dog relationships, property statistics, household and time factors, criminal prosecutions following lethal dog attacks and states with the most occurrences. This report also examines the changing metrics in U.S. fatal dog attacks since the CDC last examined this issue (1979 to 1998).

In this report, mastiff/bullmastiff is a combined group due to their rising threat. All other dog breeds recognized by major kennel clubs are tracked in separate categories in this report, including American bulldogs, boxers, pit bulls, presa canarios, cane corsos and over 30 other breeds. Mixed-breeds are tracked according to their predominant breed (a husky-mix predominantly husky is tracked in the husky category). If there is no prevailing breed or if the only information available is "mixed-breed," the dog is tracked in the "mixed-breed" category. Learn more »

I. Breeds of dogs involved in the most human fatalities

In the 13-year period of 2005 to 2017, canines killed 433 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 66% (284) of these deaths. Within this period, deaths attributed to pit bulls rose from 58% (2005 to 2010) to 71% (2011 to 2017), a 22% rise. 1 [Table 2]

[Table 2] Today, when averaging the last 3 years (2015 to 2017), pit bulls comprise about 6.5% of the total U.S. dog population. This is a 63% rise since the 3-year period of 2010 to 2012 when the total U.S. pit bull population was estimated to be 4%. 2

Rottweilers, the second most lethal dog breed over the 13-year period, inflicted 10% (45) of attacks resulting in death. This is a decrease from an earlier period (2005 to 2010) when rottweilers inflicted 14% of the total recorded deaths. [Table 2]

A group of dog breeds followed rottweilers, each with fewer than half the number of deaths: German shepherds 20 deaths, mixed-breeds 17 deaths, American bulldogs 15 deaths, mastiff/bullmastiff combination 14 deaths and huskies 13 deaths.

The 13-year data set shows the combination of pit bulls, rottweilers and "baiting" bull breeds, fighting and guardian breeds -- American bulldogs, mastiffs, bullmastiffs, presa canarios, and cane corsos -- contributed to over 80% of all dog bite fatalities.

13-Year Dog Bite Fatality Chart by Breed: Chart depicts the top 7 killing dog breeds, inflicting ≥13 deaths during the period. Also in this report, 6 dog breeds contributed from 9 to 4 deaths, 7 breeds contributed from 3 to 2 deaths, and 20 breeds contributed to 1 death.

II. Victim age groups and gender

The 13-year data set shows that 48% (208) of all fatality victims were ≤9 years old and 52% (225) were ≥10 years old, a significant rise from the early CDC study years (1979 to 1988) when victims ≥10 years only comprised 30% of all deaths. 3 [Table 3]

[Table 3] Pit bulls are a contributing factor to the rise of adult fatality victims since the last CDC study (1979 to 1998). From 2005 to 2017, pit bulls killed 72% (163 of 225) of all victims ≥10 years old vs. all other dog breeds combined, which killed 28%. [Table 4]

A breakdown of adults fatally attacked by pit bulls follows: Pit bulls inflicted 91% (21) of all dog bite deaths in the 10-29 age group; 72% (36) in the 30-49 age group; 74% (56) in the 50-69 age group; and 66% (50) in the ≥70 age group. [Table 4]

Of all age groups, children ages 0-2 had the most victims, 27% (115). The highest age-specific fatality rate is infants <1, which comprised 48% (55) of this group. The 50-69 and ≥70 age groups followed, each accounting for 18% (76) of all deaths.

Over the 13-year period, male victims (223) outnumbered female victims (210). Among children ≤9 years old, male victims dominated 63% (132 of 208) to 37% and among adults ≥50 years old, female victims dominated 61% (93 of 152) to 39%.

Breed-specific trait: Of the 13 fatal attacks inflicted by huskies, 62% (8 of 13) were infants ≤11 months old and 92% (12) were ages ≤5 years old. The single adult death, a 22-year old female victim, was a multi-breed attack involving a female husky and a male pit bull. 4

III. Dogs and property statistics

In the 13-year data set, 47% (202) of deaths involved 2 or more dogs, up from an earlier period (2005 to 2010) when 2 or more dogs inflicted 44% of deaths. In the first CDC study (1979-1988), only 30% of deaths involved 2 or more dogs. 5 [Table 5]

[Table 5] 53% (231) of attacks resulting in death involved 1 dog; 24% (105) involved 2 dogs; 8% (34) involved 3 dogs and 15% (63) involved a pack of 4 or more dogs. Of the 97 fatal attacks involving 3 or more dogs, 69% (67) included 2 or more pit bulls.

In the 13-year data set, 25% (107) of fatal attacks occurred off the dog owner's property, close to the CDC study period of 24%. 6 Pit bulls contributed to 68% (73) of these attacks and 76% (81) of all off-property attacks involved 2 or more dogs.

Pit bulls contributed to 68% (73) of these attacks and 76% (81) of all off-property attacks involved 2 or more dogs. Only 25% (110) of fatalities had reproductive status information. 75% (82) involved unaltered dogs, 20% (22) involved sterilized dogs, and 5% (6) included both statuses. Pit bulls inflicted 73% (16) of deaths involving only sterilized dogs. 7

sterilized dogs. Of the 82 fatal attacks involving unaltered dogs, male dogs carried out 52% (43), female dogs carried out 7% (6) and, 40% (33) of these lethal attacks included both sexes. Pit bulls inflicted 72% (31 of 43) of deaths involving only unaltered male dogs.

Breed-specific trait: Sex of dog was known in 291 of 433 deaths. 5% (15) were inflicted by 1 female. Of the 23 wolf hybrid deaths (1980 to 2010), sex was known in 15 cases. 33% were inflicted by 1 female, over 6 times higher than all breeds combined in the 13-year data set. 8

IV. Household and time factors

From 2005 to 2017, family dogs inflicted 54% (232) of all fatal attacks. 64% (149) were perpetrated by pit bulls, up from an earlier period of 56% (2005 to 2010). Of the 284 fatal pit bull attacks, 52% (149) involved killing a family or household member.

19% (82) of attacks resulting in death involved a dog or person new to a household (0-2 month period). Children <2 years old accounted for 55% (45) of these deaths. Family dogs carried out 87% (39) of the deadly attacks in the <2 years old subset.

16% (68) of all dog bite fatalities involved a babysitter, grandparent or relative watching a child, or the dog being "watched" by a person other than its owner when the canine inflicted a deadly attack. Pit bulls carried out 74% (50) of these attacks.

27% (116) of all dog bite fatality victims were either visiting or living temporarily with the dog's owner when the fatal attack occurred. Pit bulls inflicted 73% (85) of these deaths. Children ≤9 years old comprised 66% (76) of these fatality victims.

In the 13-year data set, 9% (38) of fatalities involved chained dogs, down from an earlier 6-year period (2005 to 2010) of 14%, and down from the CDC study period (1979 to 1998) when "restrained dogs" killed 17% of all dog bite fatality victims. 9

Breed-specific trait: 54 cases involved a dog killing its primary owner. Pit bulls inflicted 63% (34) of these deaths, over 8 times more than any other breed. Pit bulls killed their owners in all adult age groups vs. attacks without pit bulls, where 90% of owners were ≥50 years old. 10

V. Criminal charges and states

In the 13-year data set, only 21% (89) of all fatal dog maulings resulted in criminal charges. Pit bulls were implicated in 75% (67) of these criminal cases vs. attacks not involving pit bulls 25% (22) and at a rate 2.5 times higher than rottweilers.

Over half of all deaths (47) resulting in criminal charges occurred off the owner's property. Of this subset, 87% (41) involved 2 or more dogs attacking; 66% (31) involved 2 or more pit bulls attacking; and 36% (17) involved ≥4 dogs attacking.

From 2005 to 2017, 54% (232) of all dog bite fatalities occurred in the Southern United States. Texas led all states with 54 deaths, of which 70% were carried out by pit bulls. California followed with 45 deaths, of which 84% involved pit bulls. [Table 6]

Seven states followed with ≤29 deaths: Florida (29), Georgia (23), North Carolina, (21) Michigan (19), Ohio (19), South Carolina (16), Illinois (16). No fatal attacks were recorded in: Idaho, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Utah, and Vermont.

Of the nine states with the most deaths, Michigan and South Carolina pursued the most criminal charges, 31.5% and 31% respectively. Texas and Florida filed charges lower than the national average of 21% and Illinois filed no charges, 0%. [Table 6]

State legislation: From January 2005 to March 2018, at least 7 state legislative acts and 2 county-level laws were enacted into law in the wake of a deadly dog mauling. 89% (8) of this legislation specifically stemmed from a fatal attack inflicted by 1 or more pit bulls. 11

Associated tables

Table 1

Illustrates the breeds of dogs involved in fatal attacks on humans over the last 13-year period. 20 different dog breeds each inflicted 1 death (0.2%) and are excluded from this table.

Breeds of Dogs Involved in Fatal Attacks on Humans (2005-2017) Breed Deaths % of Total Pit bull 284 65.6% Rottweiler 45 10.4% German shepherd 20 4.6% Mixed-breed 17 3.9% American bulldog 15 3.5% Mastiff/bullmastiff † 14 3.2% Husky 13 3.0% Unknown/unreleased 11 2.5% Labrador retriever 9 2.1% Boxer 7 1.6% Doberman pinscher 6 1.4% Alaskan malamute 4 0.9% Golden retriever 4 0.9% Heeler/Australian cattle dog 4 0.9% Cane corso 3 0.7% Chow chow 3 0.7% Wolf-dog hybrid 3 0.7% Presa canario 2 0.5% Japanese akita 2 0.5% Australian shepherd 2 0.5% Belgian malinois 2 0.5%

† Bullmastiff 6, English mastiff 2, Italian mastiff 1, mastiff (unspecified) 4, Neapolitan mastiff 1.

Table 2

A chart that breaks down the 13-year data set into two periods (6- and 7-years respectively) shows the rise of pit bull fatalities between the two periods and the fall of rottweiler-inflicted deaths.

Table 3

Illustrates the percentage of dog bite fatality victims ages ≥10 years old has increased by 87% since the 1980s, and the percentage of fatality victims ages 0-9 years old has significantly fallen.

Adults Killed in Fatal Dog Attacks - Various Studies (1979-2017) Years 0-9 ≥10 Total Entity/Study 1979-1988 70% 30% 157 CDC/Sacks, 1989 1989-1994 57% 43% 108 CDC/Sacks, 1996 1979-2005 56% 44% 504 Langley, 2009 (no breed data) 12 2005-2010 53% 47% 183 DogsBite.org, 2017 2011-2017 44% 56% 250 DogsBite.org, 2018

Table 4

Illustrates that pit bulls are a contributing factor to the rise of adult deaths, inflicting 72% of the attacks that killed a person ≥10 years old vs. all other dog breeds combined, which killed 28%.

Fatality Victim Ages - Pit Bulls vs. All Other Dog Breeds Combined (2005 to 2017) Category 0-2 3-4 5-9 10-29 30-49 50-69 70+ Total Total Deaths 115 42 51 23 50 76 76 433 52% ages 10 and older 225 Pit Bulls 65 23 33 21 36 56 50 284 72% ages 10 and older 163 All Other Breeds Combined 50 19 18 2 14 20 26 149 28% ages 10 and older 62

Table 5

Illustrates that deaths inflicted by a single dog have substantially decreased since the first CDC study and attacks inflicted by 2 or more dogs (multi-dog household) have increased by 60%.

Single Dog Involved in Fatal Dog Attacks - Various Studies (1979-2017) % Single Dog Years Single Dog of Total Studied Entity/Study 70% 1979-1988 (76 of 108) CDC/Sacks, 1989 73% 1989-1994 (62 of 85) CDC/Sacks, 1996 67% 1979-1998 (160 of 238) CDC/AVMA, 2000 56% 2005-2010 (102 of 183) DogsBite.org, 2017 52% 2011-2017 (129 of 250) DogsBite.org, 2018

Table 6

Illustrates the top 9 states in total fatal dog attacks, the percentage of pit bull-inflicted deaths per state and the number of criminal charges filed, most commonly felony, after a fatal dog mauling.

Top 9 States in Fatal Dog Attacks and Criminal Charges Filed (2005-2017) State Total Deaths Pit Bull Deaths % Pit Bull Deaths Criminal Charges % Charges Texas 54 38 70% 10 18.5% † California 45 38 84% 10 22% Florida 29 16 55% 5 17% † Georgia 23 15 65% 5 22% North Carolina 21 16 76% 5 24% Michigan 19 10 53% 6 31.5% Ohio 19 10 53% 4 21% South Carolina 16 10 63% 5 31% Illinois 16 13 81% 0 0 ‡

† Indicates below the national average of 21%. | ‡ Indicates unacceptably poor state laws in this area.