Safety Around Dogs

In 1994, roughly 4.7 million persons in the United States were bitten by dogs.  Studies suggest that many  bites are preventable through simple strategies.

Dog Bite Prevention Week   

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) will sponsor the sixth annual National Dog Bite Prevention Week in May 2001. In recognition of the importance of a combined effort to combat this significant public health problem, The HSUS will be joined by several co-sponsoring organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, State Farm Insurance Companies, the National Animal Control Association, the Independent Insurance Agents of America, and long-time co-sponsor, the U.S. Postal Service. A national press conference will kick off the week in Washington, D.C. on May 13th, and organizations across the country will be holding events throughout the week to educate the public about responsible dog ownership and dog bite safety. For a campaign kit, or more information about National Dog Bite Prevention Week, visit http://www.nodogbites.org/, or contact The Humane Society of the United States, 2100 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037, telephone 202-452-1100.

Safety   Tips 

You can reduce the chances of children in your care being bitten or injured by a dog if you teach them some basic safety tips:

• Never approach an unfamiliar dog.
• Never run from a dog and scream.
• Stay still when an unfamiliar dog comes up to you ("be still like a tree").
• If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still ("be like a log").
• Do not look a dog in the eye.
• Do not disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies.
• Do not pet a dog without letting it see and sniff you first.
• Never play with a dog unless supervised by an adult.

Additional Dog Safety Tips

Any adult can lessen the risk of dog bite injuries. For example:

At Home

• Never leave an infant or child alone with any dog.
• Teach your dog submissive behaviors, like rolling over to show its stomach.
• Do not play aggressive games with your dog, such as wrestling.
• Seek medical care for any serious dog bite and report all dog attacks.

In the Community

• Support animal-control programs in your community and the enforcement of local laws regulating dangerous or vicious dogs.
• Support dog bite prevention educational programs in schools.

Work with a Veterinarian

• Get the advice of a veterinarian about the right breed of dog if you are thinking about getting a family dog.
• Spay or neuter your dog, this often reduces its aggressive tendencies.
• Be sure all pets are properly immunized.
• Seek a veterinarian's advice quickly if your dog becomes aggressive.
  

Who Is Affected?

Dogs can make great pets. Many people who have dogs think of them as part of the family. But dogs can also bite, and dog bites can cause serious injury and even death. During 1995-96 in the United States, at least 25 persons died as the result of dog attacks. Twenty of these deaths were among children.

In 1994, an estimated 4.7 million persons in the United States were bitten by dogs. Of these, roughly 800,000 persons sought medical care for the bite. Over half (420,000) of those getting medical care were children.

Children are often bitten on the face, and any bite can cause severe injury or infection. Children's small size may cause a dog to act in a dominant way toward a child. Many children's lack of judgment and ignorance about how to behave around a dog and their inability to fend off an attack can add to the risk. It is very important that parents closely supervise children when around dogs.

Safety Resources  

AAP's web page containing information about children's safety around animals

Humane Society of the United States

HSUS's web page containing materials animal safety programs.

Title's include "Be Bite Free!" and the "National Dog Bite Prevention Week" campaign.

NCIPC Bibliography of Articles on Dog Bites

You will need Adobe Acrobat 3.0 or higher installed to read most of these documents.  You may download this program for free at http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html.

CDC. Dog-Bite-Related Fatalities  - United States, 1995-1996. MMWR 1997;46:463-7.
Details are provided on the approximately 12 annual deaths from dog attacks.   Data is provided on dog breeds involved in fatal attacks.  Recommendations are provided on reducing dog bites.

Gershman KA, Sacks JJ, Wright JC. Which dogs bite? A case-control study of risk factors. Pediatrics 1994;93:913-7.
Biting and non-biting dogs in Denver are compared.  Biting dogs were more likely to be male, unneutered, and chained.

Quinlan KP, Sacks JJ Hospitalizations for Dog Bite Injuries [letter] JAMA 1999; 281:232-233.
Data are provided on the 6,000 hospitalizations for dog bites in 1994 and medical care cost estimates are provided for medically treated dog bites.

Sacks JJ, Kresnow M, Houston B. Dog bites: how big a problem? Injury Prevention 1996;2:52-4.
Annually in the United States there are 4.7 million dog bites of which approximately 800,000 require medical attention; that is; each year 1.8% of the U.S. population is bitten by a dog and 0.3% of the U.S. population seeks medical care for a bite.

Sacks JJ, Lockwood R, Hornreich J, Sattin RW. Fatal dog attacks, 1989-1994. Pediatrics 1996;97:891-5.
Details are provided on the approximately 12 annual deaths from dog attacks and data is provided on dog breeds involved in fatal attacks.

Sacks JJ, Sattin RW, Bonzo SE. Dog bite-related fatalities in the United States, 1979-1988. JAMA 1989;262:1489-92.
Provides details  on the approximately 12 annual deaths from dog attacks.   Provides data on dog breeds involved in fatal attacks.

Sosin DM, Sacks JJ, Sattin RW. Causes of non-fatal injuries in the United States, 1986. Accident Analysis and Prevention 1992; 24:685-687.
Data collected from the National Health Interview Survey estimated that there were 585,000 dog bites requiring medical attention in 1986. Dog bites were the 12th leading cause of non-fatal injuries for all age groups in the United States.

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Updated February 16, 2001