10+ Dog Bite Statistics For 2023 (Casualities & Breeds)

In the United States, there are approximately 89 million dogs, and 4.5 million dog bites occur annually, with children receiving at least half of those bites.

There is a huge number of people visiting emergency rooms who are dying because of a fatal dog bite. 

People are still not aware of how they can save themselves from severely getting injured by a dog. Hence, about an estimated 885000 people were in need of critical medical care as per a study between 2001 to 2003.

We shared a few Dog Bite Statistics to understand the fluctuating numbers of dog fatalities in the U.S.A. over the years.

So, without any further ado, let’s get into the details.

Top Dog Bite Statistics: Overview

Dog bites pose a significant health concern to our society and local communities. 

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, over 4.5 million individuals in the United States are bitten by dogs every year, and over 800,000 of them need medical attention (CDC). 

Children make up at least half of those who are a bit. But to understand these facts in deep, additional information regarding dog bites is provided below:

1. Probability of Dying from a Dog Bite 

The probable number of people dying from a Dog Bite is less than people dying from heart disease, Falling, Lightning, car accidents, or sometimes a bee or mosquito sting.

Dog attacks or bites are not often deadly, as only 1 in 118,776 people die from a Dog Bite. 

Source: www.mkplawgroup.com

2. Number of Dogs as Domestic pets

The number of dogs kept as domestic pets in the U.S.A. is about 89.7 Million. According to the total population of the U.S.A., it will be one dog for each individual in the U.S.A.

Source: www.mkplawgroup.com

3. Severely Suffered

The number of individuals who suffer from dog bites annually. This is the last and most quoted count from a 1994 CDC report. 

More recently, a randomized survey carried out between 2001 and 2003 found that approximately 4.521 million people experienced dog bites annually.

Source: pubmed.gov

4. Dog Bite Victims That need critical Medical Care totaled 885,000.

In contrast to what was seen in the 1994 survey, there was a considerable (47%) drop in the incidence of dog bites among children, notably among boys and among those aged 0–4 years. 

In contrast, the incidence of dog bites among adults remained mostly stable.

An estimated 45,21 300 people have been bitten annually between 2001 and 2003. 

885,000 of them (or 19%) needed medical attention. Children to have a dog bite treated medically.

Dog bites continue to be a hazard for public health in the US, impacting 1.5% of the population yearly.

Despite the fact that a comparison to comparable data from 1994 reveals that kid bite rates are declining, there still seems to be a need for efficient preventative initiatives.

Source: pubmed.gov

5. Visits to Emergency Rooms because of Dog Bites for the Ages of 5 to 9 

The most recent 2018 annual count of emergency room visits for dog bites was 344202.

Children between the ages of 5 and 9 were mostly affected by it, as the number of children affected was 31,552.

Source: cdc.gov

6. 26% of Dog Bite fatalities of Children between 0-2

Based on a 13-year period, victims of deadly dog attacks were most often children between the ages of 0 and 2. Hence, the highest fatality rate revolves around the Age of infants.

This study from DogsBite.org is a survey of reported US dog fatalities from the 13-year duration of studies. (2005-2017).

Source: dogsbite.org

7. 900+ Emergency Room Visits Because of dog bite

 The Journal Of pediatrics calculated the number of dog bites in the period of 2019-2020, which was acquired from a study. 

According to that, the average rate of everyday emergencies room has gone over 900 cases because of fatal Dog Bites in the U.S.A.  

Source: Science Direct

8. Dog Bite Casualties by The breeds that bite most often 

Most breeds over 45 are most likely to bite humans fatally. We’ve included the top 10 dog breeds from the category of deadly biters.

Plus the number of deaths that occurred and the total percentage of biting incidents.

Breed	Deaths	% of Total
Pit Bull	284	65.6%
Rottweiler	45	10.4%
German Shepard	20	4.6%
Mixed-Breed	17	3.9%
American Bulldog	15	3.5%
Mastiff or Bull Mastiff	14	3.2%
Husky	13	3.0%
Unknown breed	11	2.5%
Labrador	9	2.1%
Boxer	7	1.6%

9. Where do critical dog bites arise the most? 

According to the study, Texas and California experience fatal dog attacks at a substantially higher rate than any other state.

However, other states also have their fair share of fatal injuries by Dog Bites along with Texas and California. 

So, to understand the number of dog bite cases arising in different states in the U.S.A., let’s check out the chart below. 

This chart includes fatalities by state and the number of attacks from the year 2010 to June 2021.

States in the U.S.A.	Fatalities
Alabama	9
Alaska	2
Arizona	10
Arkansas	10
California	48
Chicago	1
Colorado	1
Connecticut	7
Delaware	2
Dist. Of Columbia	1
Florida	31
Georgia	20
Hawaii	2
Illinois	3
Indiana	5
Iowa	4
Kansas	2
Kentucky	10
Louisiana	6
Maine	3
Maryland	5
Massachusetts	3
Michigan	13
Minnesota	2
Mississippi	8
Missouri	5
Montana	2
Nebraska	2
Nevada	7
New Jersey	3
New Mexico	8
New York	7
North Carolina	22
Ohio	21
Oklahoma	14
Oregon	5
Pennsylvania	9
Porter, Texas	1
Rhode Island	1
South Carolina	14
South Dakota	3
Tennessee	9
Texas	47
Virginia	10
Washington	4
Wisconsin	4
Wyoming	1

Source: PetComments.com, en.wikipedia.org, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

10. Dog Bite casualties according to Age and gender

There were 430 fatalities in the U.S.A, according to a study on dog bite fatalities from 2010 to 2021.

Hence, out of those 430, the following chart displays the average number of fatalities by different age groups and genders.

Age Groups	Number of Fatalities	Female	Male
0 to 4	137	61	76
5 to 9	42	9	33
10 t0 14	7	2	5
15 to 19	2	1	1
20 to 24	7	5	2
25 to 29	10	3	7
30 to 34	12	8	4
35 to 39	10	8	2
40 to 44	16	10	6
45 to 49	21	12	9
50 to 54	23	13	10
55 to 59	22	12	10
60 to 64	24	14	10
65 to 69	20	13	7
70 to 74	18	14	4
Over 75	55	35	20
Unspecified	4	N/A	N/A

Sources: Pet Comments.com , en.wikipedia.org , ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

How to protect yourself from dog bites?

The dog owner or the experiences the dog has had can often foretell a dog’s behavior. Also, numerous pets have experienced some form of cruelty or neglect, and these are the dog breeds that bite or fight.

That’s why we keep emphasizing how crucial it is always to use caution when near pets you don’t know.

For starters, avoid making eye contact with an aggressive dog, and keep calm. Plus, avoid inciting canines to attack.

Dogs are more likely to attack when they are frightened, ill, or hurt. So, getting in touch with someone who can give them the attention they need rather than approaching or moving them is better.

Lastly, fortunately, municipal governments frequently impose limits to protect citizens.

Related read;

• How Often Do You Walk Your Dog?
• Best Vibrating Dog Collars
• Find the Best Dog Breed

Final Verdict: Dog Bite Statistics (2023)

Even while there are risks associated with owning a dog as a “family pet,” just 0.0004% of dog attacks in the US, where there are more than 89 million dogs, result in fatalities. 

As we saw, the majority of victims are babies and young children.

Dogs are terrestrial, so keep your dog on a leash at night or if your child might be left unsupervised if you are bringing a baby or young child home.

The elderly and infants are the age group most frequently targeted by fatal dog attacks. Keep your dogs indoors if you have senior visitors.

Also, never attempt to break up a dog fight between two dogs; you can get bitten.

Hopefully, you have grasped the facts and figures related to the Dog Bite Statistics. Hence, if you’ve liked the information given above and found it helpful, leave feedback in the comments below. 

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