Arin Greenwood

My pit bull Barky lived to about 14 . She was a beloved family pet from the day she was found abandoned in a New York park until the heartbreaking day we decided it would be kinder for the veterinarian to stick a needle in her than to let her die from an otherwise-inevitable stroke or heart attack. This dog, who changed my life, never hurt anyone through the course of the decade and a half we were lucky enough to have her.Barky was hardly alone. Indeed, the statistics show how incredibly rare it is for any dog to turn on anyone, let alone for one specific type of dog to turn on their owners.There are thought to be fewer than 30 people killed in dog attacks per year -- a vanishingly small number, considering that some 70-80 million dogs are owned in the United States While some make broad claims about the breeds of dog most often responsible for the fatal bites, the data shows that breed isn't actually a factor.According to the most recent comprehensive examination of fatal bites in the United States, which was published last December in the Journal of the American Veterinarian Medical Association , breed could only even be identified in 45 incidents. Of those, two mutts, and more than 20 other breeds, were responsible for the attacks.Non-fatal dog bites are, unfortunately, not so uncommon. According to the CDC , about 4.5 million dog bites are reported every year. Of those, about 885,000 required medical attention. But, again, while hysterical media reports may lead people to believe that pit bulls are to blame, the fact is that no reliable evidence substantiates that belief.Some pit bulls bite. Some of any kind of dog will bite. There is simply no reliable data supporting the assertion that pit bulls are more likely to bite than than the others.And the many, many thousands of pit bull owners who have seen their pets reach their natural ends can tell you, too, that no, pit bulls do not all eventually turn on their owners.