Are You More Likely to Get Seriously Bitten by a Strange Dog or Your Family Dog? Statistics Will Surprise You
Published on July 05, 2011
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Although packs of free-roaming, vicious dogs are the stuff of our nightmares, statistics say we are more likely to be bitten by dogs we know. However, avoiding a tragic situation is largely in our hands. Experts say we can dramatically reduce the number of serious or deadly dog bites by neutering and by raising animals to be well-socialized, well-trained family members (as opposed to having neglected outdoor "protection" dogs).
Dog-bite data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control show us how these incidents are more likely to happen close to home:
- 80 percent of dog-bite incidents involving children are inflicted by a family dog (30 percent) or a neighbor's dog (50 percent).
- 75 percent of fatal dog bites were inflicted on family members or guests on the family's property.
- 8 percent of dog bites involving adults were work-related (inflicted on such workers as meter readers, repairmen, etc.).
