Fatal Dog Attacks: The Stories Behind the Statistics (United States)

By Karen Delise

Description from Goodreads: Today’s headlines are filled with horror stories about fatal dog attacks. Consequently, the public has grown increasingly alarmed over what it perceives as an ominous phenomenon, uncontrolled and growing. People across the nation have concluded that many breeds/types of dogs are dangerous, violent and even worse – unpredictable.

Fatal Dog Attacks was written to set the record straight. The book explores four decades of deadly assaults. The only book of its kind, it presents scientific details and the latest information from major sources including the Centers for Disease Control.

Fatal Dog Attacks uncovers the truth about the frequency and causes of unprovoked dog attacks, who are the most likely victims, which breeds are most aggressive, how people can best protect themselves, and most importantly: who is ultimately responsible for these attacks.

Note: Whenever possible, I have supplied link to the author’s “book store” (click on book’s image). If not available from author’s store, I have linked to Amazon. Most of the books included in our recommendations are also available from Dogwise. If you shop at Amazon, don’t forget to check out their AmazonSmile program where Amazon donates a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization.

This book is no longer in print but you can still find new and used copies on Amazon. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a better understanding about fatal dog events and the circumstances that lead to these tragic situations.

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While dogs have benefited from their association with man, and many dogs today have a quality of life unparalleled in their history with man, there is also a significant portion of the canine population that suffers miserably at the hands of man. Pet overpopulation is a serious and tragic problem in the United States. Millions of dogs are abused, abandoned and/or euthanized yearly in this country. Shelters and humane societies are teeming with dogs whose owners have not the time, energy or inclination to uphold the unspoken commitment made when obtaining a dog. Other dogs have outlived their usefulness and dumped at the pound without even a backward glance.

Part of the problem is that dogs are plentiful and easy to obtain. But owning a dog is not as easy as acquiring a dog and many people are ill-prepared to cope with the myriad of obstacles that come with dog ownership. Americans believe it to be a fundamental right to own a dog. We also believe that dogs should be benign creatures that can be obtained without commitment or consideration to their natural inclinations. Luckily for most owners, dogs are incredibly forgiving creatures. They suffer our abuses, tolerate our ignorance and attempt to satisfy unreasonable expectations of behavior. We routinely obtain dogs of all breeds, sizes and ages and incorporate them into our homes and yards, with little consideration given to the particularities of breed, history, genetics, or temperament. The fact that over 4,700,000 people are bitten annually, with over 800,000 requiring medical treatment, indicates many interspecies conflicts. 

Domestication for the dog is akin to civilization for mankind; it inhibits and depresses certain behaviors and drives without necessarily eliminating them. The dogs in this study are a miniscule percent of the dog population, but they demonstrate the potential for predatory behavior and aggression that is inherent in all canids. 

KAREN DELISE