Fatal dog attacks in the United States cause the deaths of thirty to fifty people each year. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, there were 468 deaths in the United States from being bitten or struck by a dog between 2011 and 2021 inclusive. This is an average of 43 deaths annually, ranging from a low of 31 deaths in 2016 to a high of 81 deaths in 2021.
Dogs killed more males than females during the tracked period. Children between the ages of one and four are the most frequent victims, accounting for 29.4% of the fatalities from dog attacks in 2022; those under the age of seventeen accounted for 56.7% of all fatalities that year.
Around 4.5million Americans are bitten by dogs every year, resulting in some 800,000 seeking medical treatment. Dogs not only cause both injury and death as a result of their bites, but may also transmit zoonotic infections such as rabies, which can also result in illness or death. It is estimated that 15% to 20% of dog bite wounds become infected, with occasional cases of meningitis and endocarditis leading to death.
Breeds A 2018 Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center literature review covering fifteen years of dog bites treated at the Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and the University of Virginia Health System, with meta-analysis by breed, found that dog bites were most likely to come from the following breeds (in order of highest incidents): pit bull, mixed breed, German Shepherd, terrier, and Rottweiler. Tracking by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) determined that pit bull type dogs were most likely to be involved in fatal attacks, accounting for 28% of fatalities from 1979 to 1998. The AVMA documented 66 human fatalities caused by pit bull type dogs, 39 by Rottweilers, 17 by German shepherds, 15 by husky type dogs, 12 by Malamutes, 9 by Dobermann Pinschers, 8 by Chow Chows, 7 by Great Danes, and 7 by St. Bernard dogs.
All dog breeds can inflict a bite; breed is not an accurate predictor of whether or not a dog will bite. In the US pit bull-type and Rottweilers most frequently are identified breeds in cases of severe bites. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, statistics should not be used to infer any breed-specific risk for dog bite fatalities without also noting the numbers of each breed residing in the US.
Attack training is condemned by some as promoting ferocity in dogs; a 1975 American study showed that 10% of dogs that have bitten a person received attack dog training at some point.
By state Between 1979 and 2005, the states with the most dog bite fatalities per capita were Alaska, South Dakota, Idaho, New Mexico, Arkansas, and South Carolina (from highest to lowest).
States that have enacted legislation that assigns owner liability for dog bites include Michigan, Rhode Island, Florida, California, Texas, and Connecticut.
List of fatalities from dog attacks
Below are lists of notable fatal dog attacks in the United States reported by the news media, published in scholarly papers, or mentioned through other sources. In the lists below, the dog type or breed is assigned by the sources.
19th century fatalities Attack dateVictimAgeGenderDog type (number) City or countyStateDetailsOctober 29, 1864Henry Carey10MaleBloodhound (1)GloucesterNew JerseyCarey was attacked by the dog and died soon afterward. Witnesses watched the attack before intervening, mistaking him for a dead animal. His smaller dog tried to defend him.November 5, 1865Herman Miller7MaleNewfoundland (1)New York CityNew YorkMiller was bitten on the face by his neighbor's dog. The wound was sewn up by the boy, who died from hydrophobia (rabies) some two weeks later. The dog was shot.Ada Clare39FemalePoodle (1)New York CityNew YorkClare, an actress, was nursing a pet dog and was bitten in the nose. The dog died soon after. Clare died of rabies (hydrophobia) on March 4, 1874.Charles Warren Stoddard (1905). "Ada Clare: Queen of Bohemia". National Magazine. p. 645. Retrieved March 30, 2024.March 19, 1877Miss BooteChildFemaleEnglish Bulldog (1)CincinnatiOhioA little girl was feeding the dog when it attacked and started eating her. Neighbors tried to rescue the girl. Police shot the dog which then attacked them. Her mother was also injured in the attack.George R. Reeves56MaleUnknown (1)Reeves CountyTexasReeves was bitten by a dog and died of hydrophobia (rabies).November 8, 1890August CartwrightInfantMaleNewfoundland (1)Lead City (near Rochford)South DakotaA new family pet attacked and began eating the baby Cartwright who was briefly left alone with the dog by his mother. Cartwright's father killed the dog with his ax.Laura Barmann 7FemaleSt. Bernard (1)MaryvilleMissouriA group of children were attacked by a dog. One girl and a baby died. The dog was killed.InfantFemale
20th century fatalities Attack dateVictimAgeGenderDog type (number) City or countyStateDetailsNovember 13, 1909John Eldice1MaleBull terrier (1)New York CityNew YorkAn eight-year-old girl and eighteen-month-old Eldice were left alone with the dog that attacked the boy. The two were supposed to be watched by their older siblings while their mother worked. Neighbors heard the girl's screams and the dog's barking. The police shot the dog several times before it died. Eldice died in the hospital.November 13, 1912Florence DietzFemaleUnknown (1)ClevelandOhioA bride was bitten by a puppy given to her as a wedding gift by her husband. She died of hydrophobia (rabies), along with the puppy and another dog that it bit.February 17, 1913Minot A. Steel46MaleUnknown (1)PortsmouthRhode IslandSteel was attacked and killed by a dog which was still at large.August 18, 1917Ralph Protta9MaleMongrel (2)New York CityNew YorkProtta climbed a fence and was dragged into a yard by two dogs. Police shot one dog, ending the attack. The boy died before arriving at the hospital.July 28, 1923Joseph Gennatt Jr.9MaleGreat Dane (2)Florham ParkNew JerseyTwo guard dogs attacked a boy who entered a picnic park, severing his jugular vein. Six men attempted to stop the attack with sticks and stones, but the boy bled to death. The police arrested the dog's owner who leased the park.February 22, 1926Harry Griffin40 to 50MaleUnknown (2)YonkersNew YorkGriffin, a one-arm mechanic, was found dead after a dog attack. Police found and killed the dogs, following tracks and blood in the snow.July 31, 1944Carol Pardo6FemaleGerman Shepherd (1)EphrataPennsylvaniaPardo was attacked by a working dog on a farm where her family was vacationing. She died in the hospital.February 7, 1947Walter Momer Jr.4MaleGerman Shepherd (1)PhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaMomer was attacked and killed by a stray dog while sledding near his home. A neighbor shot the dog, which had attacked four children the prior day.July 1, 1947Stanley Balaben11MaleBull Terrier