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Dog Bite Resource Center

Dog Bite Statistics

(All facts are recent unless noted otherwise. All statistics were obtained from reliable sources such as ENA, CDC and others.)

• In 2006, there were approximately 65 million dogs kept as pets in the United States.
• 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs, annually.
• Approximately 3,000 U. S. Postal Service workers are bit annually.
• Every year approximately 800,000 dog bites require medical attention. 386,000 of these cases require emergency medical treatment. This is approximately 1,008 victims a day.
• Approximately every 40 seconds, someone in the U. S. seeks medical care because of a dog bite.
• Approximately 12 people die from dog bite incidents annually.
• Hospital expenses for dog bite related emergency visits are an estimated $102.4 million.
• Un-neutered dogs are more than 2.6 times more likely to bite than neutered dogs.
• Male dogs are 6.2 times more likely to bite than female dogs.
• Among purebreds, Rottweilers were most commonly involved in fatal attacks. Pit Bulls, German Shepherds, Husky types and Malamutes were common in all fatal attacks.
• Among crossbreds, Wolf Dog Hybrids and mixed breeds were the most commonly involved in fatal attacks.
• Most dog bites occur in the afternoon and evening, peaking between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Dog bite reports increase between March and September, with a peak month of July.
• The majority of biting dogs (77%) belong to the victim's family or a friend.
• The majority of dog biting incidents or attacks (61%) occur at home or in a familiar place.
• In 2003 dog bites accounted for about ¼ of all homeowner's insurance liability claims with a total cost of $321.6 million.

The following chart illustrates types of injuries requiring emergency room visits in 2001. (Information was obtained from the Emergency Nurses Association.):

Dog Bite Statistics in Children:

• 60% of all dog bite victims are children.
• Dog bite injury rates are highest for children ages 5-9, especially boys.
• About half of all dog bite victims are children under the age of 14.
• The median age of children patients that were bitten is 15.
• Children who were seen in emergency rooms for dog bites were more likely than adults to have been bitten in the face, neck and head.
• 77% of dog bite injuries to children under 10 years old were facial.
• Severe injuries occur almost only in children under the age of 10.
• When a child less than the age of 4 was the victim, the family dog was the attacker 47% of the time. 90% of the time, the attack happened in the home.
• Dog bites rank second among other common causes of emergency room incidents. There are approximately 333,687 children a year who visit the emergency room for a dog bite.

Studies have shown that facial injuries are most common in dog bite cases:

• Dog bites result in about 44,000 facial injuries requiring a hospital visit. This is between 0.5% - 1.5% of all emergency room visits.
• The lips, nose and cheeks are the areas of the face are most often damaged or injured in a dog bite to the face.
• 77% of all injuries resulting from dog bites were in the face. Mail carriers were the only exception to this with 97% of dog bite injuries occurring in the lower extremities.

If you have been injured by a dog bite or dog attack, please contact an expert dog bite attorney at Bisnar & Chase, LLP. We offer free consultations to answer your questions and determine if you have a case. If you have been injured, you deserve monetary compensation for your injuries.

HOLDING WRONGDOERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DAMAGES THEY CAUSE SINCE 1978

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BISNAR | CHASE 2006-2010 - Super Lawyers is a listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 60 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. BISNAR | CHASE has received this award for three consecutive years.

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