Dog Bite Law

The dog bite problem in general

American Veterinary Medical Association, Task Force on Canine Aggression and Human-Canine Interactions, A Community Approach to Dog Bite Prevention. Highly informative, well written, very authoritative paper that describes the dog bite problem, suggests its causes, provides specific suggestions to lessen it, and presents some other important materials. A must-read! However, the model legislation for the control of dangerous dogs is weak. To see stronger laws that have been enacted, see the Los Angeles County Code provisions regarding animals, by clicking here and then selecting "Title 10: Animals."

Sacks JJ, Sinclair L, Gilchrist J, Golab GC, Lockwood R. Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. JAVMA 2000;217:836-840. Summarizes breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks during a 20-year period, then goes on to provide great detail about dog bites including the causes and how they can be prevented. "Must" reading for anyone interested in this topic, but keep in mind that the article was published years ago.

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.

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 are provided on dog breeds involved in fatal attacks from 1979. Recommendations on reducing dog bites are included.

Sacks JJ, Kresnow M, Houston B. Dog bites: how big a problem? Injury Prevention 1996;2:52-54. Annually in the United States 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs. Of these, approximately 800,000 people 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. Injury Prevention is a publication of the Centers for Disease Control.

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 are provided on dog breeds involved in fatal attacks.

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.

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.

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 annual deaths from dog attacks and data on dog breeds involved in fatal attacks.

Weiss HB, Friedman DI, Coben JH. Incidence of dog bite injuries treated in emergency departments, JAMA 1998;279:53. This research was updated with emergency department statistics of 2001, which demonstrated a rise in the number of patients treated: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nonfatal Dog Bite–Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments — United States, 2001, MMWR 2003;52:605-610. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report is published by the CDC.

Nelson K. One City's Experience - Why Pit Bulls Are More Dangerous and Breed-Specific Legislation is Justified. Muni Lawyer, July/August 2005, Vol. 46, No. 4. This article details the victory of the City of Denver over the Colorado legislature when the latter attempted to overturn Denver's ban against pit bulls. The city went to court and introduced actual proof that pit bulls are more dangerous than other dogs, justifying the city's ban.

Lockwood R. Humane concerns about dangerous dog laws. University of Dayton Law Review 1988;13:267-77. 

Lockwood, The Ethology and Epidemiology of Canine Aggression, in James Serpell (ed.) The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behavior & Interactions with People, (Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge Univ. Press), pp. 132-138.

Lockwood R, Rindy K. Are "pit bulls" different? An analysis of the pit bull terrier controversy. Anthrozoos 1987;1:2-8. 

Companion Animals Section and Division of Higher Education Programs. Guidelines for regulating dangerous or vicious dogs. Washington, DC: Humane Society of the United States, August 1987. 

Lockwood R. Dangerous dogs revisited. The Humane Society News 1992;37:20-2. 

Dog Bites - Basic Behavioral Principles and Misunderstood Words, in David Favre and Peter L. Borchelt, Animal Law and Dog Behavior, (Lawyers & Judges Publishing Co.) pp. 299 et seq.

American Veterinary Medical Association. AVMA Welfare Forum: human-canine interactions. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1997;210:1121-54. 

Wise JK, Yang JJ. Dog and cat ownership, 1991-1998. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1994;204:1166-7.

Voelker R. Dog bites recognized as public health problem. JAMA 1997;277:278,280.

Williams R, Williams D. Dogs that bite. BMJ 1992; 304:116.

Sacks JJ, Sattin RW, Bonzo SE. Dog bite-related fatalities from 1979 through 1988. JAMA 1989;262:1489-92.

Lockwood R. Humane concerns about dangerous dog laws. University of Dayton Law Review 1988;13:267-77.

Lockwood R, Rindy K. Are "pit bulls" different? An analysis of the pit bull terrier controversy. Anthrozoos 1987;1:2-8.

Sosin DM, Sacks JJ, Sattin RW. Causes of nonfatal injuries in the United States, 1986. Accid Anal Prev 1992;24:685-7.

Companion Animals Section and Division of Higher Education Programs. Guidelines for regulating dangerous or vicious dogs. Washington, DC: Humane Society of the United States, August 1987.

Lockwood R. Dangerous dogs revisited. The Humane Society News 1992;37:20-2.

American Veterinary Medical Association. AVMA Welfare Forum: human-canine interactions. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1997;210:1121-54.

Ninth Revision of the ICD (ICD- 9) has been used for classifying causes of death. The supplementary classification of external causes of injury and poisoning is used for mortality coding. This document provides information about the classification of dog bite injuries.

The Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention of The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control monitors trends in unintentional injuries in the United States, conducts research to better understand risk factors, and evaluates interventions to prevent these injuries. In additional to materials on dog bites, the Division's web site has valuable information about other important topics, such as car seats, drownings and bicycle-related injuries.

Medical issues

Tisovec RW, Kakaiya R. Dog bites: hidden danger of fulminant sepsis. J Am Board Fam Pract 1998;11:154-7. 

David R. Haburchak, Rabies Reconsidered: Is the Increasing Zoonotic Reservoir a New Public Threat? [Infect Med 14(12):943, 947-953, 1997. 

Blackman JR. Animal bites. In: Rakel RE, Pedersen D, editor. Saunders Manual of Medical Practice. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1996.

Garcia VF. Animal bites and Pasteurella infections. Pediatr Rev 1997;18:127-30.

Butler T, Weaver RE, Ramani TK, Uyeda CT, Bobo RA, Ryu JS, et al. Unidentified gram-negative rod infection. A new disease of man. Ann Intern Med 1977;86:1-5.

Vanhonsebrouck AY, Gordts B, Wauters G, Van Landuyt HW. Fatal septicemia with Capnocytophaga canimorsus in a compromised host. A case report with review of the literature. Acta Clin Belg 1991;46:364-70.

Pers C, Gahrn-Hansen B, Frederiksen W. Capnocytophaga canimorsus septicemia in Denmark, 1982-1995: review of 39  cases. Clin Infect Dis 1996;23: 71-5.

Linton DM, Potgieter DP, Roditi D, Phillips A, Adams BK, Hayhurst M, et al. Fatal Capnocytophaga canimorsus (DF-2) septicaemia. A case report. S Afr Med J 1994;84:857-60.

Kelleher AT, Gordon SM. Management of bite wounds and infection in primary care. Cleve Clin J Med 1997;64:137-41.

Wiley JF 2nd. Mammalian bites. Review of evaluation and management. Clin Pediatr Phila 1990; 29:283-7.

Morgan JP 3rd, Haug RH, Murphy MT. Management of facial dog bite injuries. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1995;53:435-41.

Meuli M, Glarner H. Delayed cerebral infarction after dog bites: case report. J Trauma 1994;37:848-9.

Wiggins ME, Akelman E, Weiss AP. The management of dog bites and dog bite infections to the hand. Orthopedics 1994;17:617-23.

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