pit bulls mauled a woman to death

http://www.drkidus.com/History.htm

VALINDA, (CA) Oct. 8 – A 5-week-old baby girl, left unattended for a short time, was mauled to death last night by the family’s Pomeranian dog. An uncle was babysitting the newborn while her parents were out of the country, said Sgt. James Beaumon of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. He left the infant on a bed unattended while he went to the kitchen to prepare a bottle for her. When he returned, he found the dog holding the victim by the head, Beaumon said. The uncle rescued the child from the dog’s mouth and called for help. The baby was taken to a local hospital where she died from her injuries, said Deputy Valentine Rosario of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. The name of the child has not been released due to age and pending parental notification,

"Bill concerning pit bulls proposed"
Columbus, OH. March 14– Pit bulls and other dogs that have bitten people or other animals are considered vicious dogs in Ohio, but a new trend has some state lawmakers even more concerned. The practice of destroying the voice box, or debarking the animals, was the focus of discussion at the state house.
The dogs are often associated with other crimes and making them silent can actually make them more dangerous.
Pit bulls are the only dog specifically singled out by the state of Ohio as a vicious breed. The pit bull by its very nature the state considers inherently dangerous. Today at the state house a bill that would outlaw the practice of de-barking vicious dogs was the focus of intense discussion. De-barking is accomplished by destroying the vocal cords in these animals, either by severing them during a controlled surgery or in more crude backyard procedures that may include ramming a red hot steel rod down the dogs throat that sear the voice box and silence the dogs forever. According to supporters of the bill, the procedure only succeeds in turning them into silent killers. The bills sponsor, Republican Bill Olman says dog fighting and the illegal drug trade is fueling the spread of these silenced and dangerous dogs. The bill also has the support of the Ohio Veterinarian Medical Association. The support came after language was added that would limit liability to vets who silence dogs that are not considered vicious.
"History Lesson"
Oh, how times change! In a World War I propaganda poster, the APBT represented the United States...and people were proud of that. So where did today's fear and hatred, and terrible misunderstanding, come from? The sports of bull and bear baiting date back to the 1100's. The dogs used in these sports had to have courage, tenacity, gameness, and strength. Thus was the beginning of the pit bull. Gameness is the willingness to continue a battle until death, despite injury or obstacle. One theory of the origin of today's APBT is the crossing of English bulldogs and the extinct English White Terrier to produce the dogs used in the bull ring. The terrier added speed and agility to the bulldog's gameness. Soon after the prohibition of bull baiting in 1835, dog fighting became an even more popular "common man's" sport in England and Ireland. Before the Civil War, the sport made its way to the US. The choice terrier-bulldogs became a popular breed. In 1898, C. B. Bennet founded the United Kennel Club, which published a standard for the breed now known as the APBT, as well as rules for pit contests. Today, the UKC has expanded and registers many other breeds. In 1909, Guy McCord started the American Dog Breeders' Association, now the favored APBT registry. In 1936, the American Kennel Club recognized the breed, under the name American Stafford shire Terrier. One of the pit bulls who played Pete on the Little Rascals was chosen to be the first AM Staff. Many APBT fanciers weren't thrilled with the AKC recognition. The AKC has been known (no disrespect intended) to ruin good working breeds and alter their original temperants. The AKC also tried to distance the breed from its history, and play down the characteristic gameness, which angered many breeders. The UKC began dual registering dogs as both APBTs and AMStaffs as the same breed. However, a separation has emerged between what is known as an APBT and an AMStaff. This is similar to the 1935 separation of the APBT and the Stafford shire Bull Terrier. At one time, the breeds were considered one. Never again. History seems to be repeating itself, thanks to the efforts of the AKC. Very few breeders would even consider crossing a game-bred APBT with an AM Staff. In 1976 a federal law was passed, making dog fighting a felony in almost every state. While fights still go on, they are much more "underground" than ever in the past. Throughout the APBT's history, its key role has been outside the fight ring, as companion and guardian. Many people have realized the virtue of the pit recently, and many others are becoming attracted to its image, or looking for a deterrent, either to crime or investigation. whatever the reason, the breeds popularity is booming." Backyard breeders" who don't know, much less care, what a true APBT is have been springing up in alarming numbers. They cross pits with anything that looks good, train them for human aggression, and sell them cheap and without papers. They call these dogs "pit bulls" and the common person assumes this is an APBT. A good illustration of this problem is that "pit bulls" didn't bother much of anyone until the 1980's, when they became Satan on paws. If APBT's were really as vicious as the media would have us believe, where were all the reports of attacks before recent times? Helen Keller was never attacked by her pit. Neither was Teddy Roosevelt, the kids on the Little Rascals, Fred Astaire, Gen. George Patton, or Billie Holiday. It isn't the APBT that is the problem. It is ignorant breeders, the poor creatures they produce who are beaten and raised so twisted they only know how to fight for survival, and the ignorant public that are the problem.

In 1835 the British Parliament outlawed bull baiting, a sadistic gambling game in which bulldogs were used to attack and harass bulls brought to market with the dubious intention of tenderizing the meat. The dog would assault the bull, avoid the stomping hooves and slashing horns, grab a tender nose or ear, and hang on until the bull collapsed. Commoners and royalty alike sought diversion from the violence and diseases of their day by attending these bloody spectacles until a public outcry forced Parliament to take a stand. Once bull baiting was banned, dog breeders who appreciated the fierceness, courage, and tenacity of the bull dogs turned their attentions to breeding dogs for dog fighting. They began with the bull dog, mixed in some terrier blood, and produced the Bull and Terrier, a dog that met all of their expectations. The Bull and Terrier was bred for aggression to other dogs, unrelenting bravery, a high pain threshold, a willingness to fight to the end, and an affection for people. Bull and Terrier dogs came to the US in the early 1800s as all-around farm dogs and frontier guardians. Samuel Clemons featured a pup of this breed in his short book The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. The United Kennel Club recognized the Bull and Terrier Dog as the American Pit Bull Terrier in 1898. Buster Brown shoes put its mascot in every shoe with the image of Tige, an American Pit Bull Terrier, to enhance its image as a sturdy, dependable shoe. RCA used Nipper, a pit bull of unknown ancestry, to illustrate the clarity of sound emanating from its phonograph -- after all, it could fool the loyal pit bull into thinking he heard "his master's voice" in person. The breed was used to illustrate American neutrality without fear in 1914, the toughness of Levi jeans, and as a" defender of Old Glory." The AKC eschewed breeds called "pit bulls" until 1936, when it recognized the American Pit Bull Terrier under the alias Stafford shire Terrier, named after the miners of Stafford shire, England, who had a hand in developing the breed for the fighting pit. The name was changed in 1972 to the American Stafford shire Terrier to distinguish the breed from the Stafford shire Bull Terrier of England, the ancestor of the American dogs, which was recognized by AKC in 1974. The British version of the dog is 14-16 inches tall and weighs up to 45 pounds. The American cousin is 18-19 inches tall and weighs up to 80 pounds. UKC's American Pit Bull Terrier is preferred to range from 30-60 pounds with females generally, but not necessarily, smaller than males. Staffs, Am Staffs, and APBTs produced by responsible breeders are bred for temperament. Many dogs of these breeds are therapy dogs; some do quite well in obedience, and one -- Ban dog Dread HIC, VB, SchH 1, CD -- even has a herding title. Another, Solomon J. Grundy, is a service dog for quadriplegic owner Arvid Kuhnle of Saskatoon, Canada, and Bullitt, was shown on the 1985 Easter Seals poster with his owner, Gordy Ranberg of Genesee, Michigan.
The American Pit Bull Terrier and its AKC cousins had a well- deserved reputation as a loyal and trustworthy family pet in the early years of this century, but of late has been severely castigated as a vicious, man-killing beast, worthy of banishment from the cities, considered guilty with no chance of proving innocence in any case. "Pit bull" is a generic and derogatory term that encompasses any of several breeds of dogs or crosses on those breeds. Pit Bull fanciers can be divided into several camps: conscientious breeders of the AKC-registered duo who often deny kinship of their dogs with the APBT; ethical breeders of the APBT who face squarely the slander heaped upon them by ignorant neighbors; and unethical breeders of all three breeds who still indulge in dog fighting or promote aggressive temperaments for illegal purposes. Dog fighting rings still exist--it's only been a few years since a ring with national ties was busted in New Richmond and Blanchester, Ohio--and inner city drug dealers often use the dogs to guard their drug supplies and cash.To further complicate matters, those who still breed for fighting are not as careful to preserve the dog's strong instinct to bond with humans as the early breeders did. So, today "pit bull" is a pejorative term that strikes fear in the hearts of many and leads to the spreading of urban legends about dogs with locking jaws that exert 20 thousand pounds of pressure, unstable breed temperament, and overwhelming human aggression. In fact, the well-bred American Pit Bull Terrier is a family guardian and protector; an intelligent and obedient pet; a sweet, even-tempered dog that serves well as a help-mate to handicapped owner and friend to small children; and a healthy, hardy dog that complains little and offers much to his family. Unfortunately, it has been more important for legislators in many jurisdictions to prove to constituents that they have "done something" about community problems. Spurred on by media accounts of "pit bull" attacks described in lurid detail, these councils and commissioners have banned pit bulls in all their forms from their communities. Never mind that the owners are the ones at fault for harboring a vicious dog; never mind that few of these dogs actually bite people; never mind that the breed and its crosses are not always easy to identify. Just ban them. So, many shelters do not offer pit bulls or any dog that might be part pit bull to be adopted. Insurance companies cancel house insurance if a pit bull is in residence. Neighbors mistake everything from Boxers to Pugs as "pit bulls". And those criminals who used pit bulls as protectors of their illegal activities switch to Akitas or Rottweilers.
There is no denying the fighting history of the American Pit Bull Terrier. There is also no denying the frighteningly grim future of the American Pit Bull Terrier. Every day, more and more cities are enacting breed-specific legislation that bans Pit Bulls or sometimes any dog that even remotely resembles a Pit Bull. The reason for this hysteria is as complex as it is simple. People are afraid of Pit Bulls. Many Pit Bull owners point the finger of blame at the media, which is understandable. There is some basis in reality to the picture that the media has painted of the Pit Bull. Are they all vicious people-killers with a taste for human blood? Of course not. Are they powerful, well-muscled animals with large heads and jaws suited for "locking on" contrary to popular belief, there is no mechanism on the Pit Bull's jaw which causes it to lock onto its prey; this is done due to mere tenacity)? You bet. Can a poodle be just a vicious? You bet. But a poodle is not going to inflict the same horrific wounds that a Pit is capable of. Therein lies the problem. These are powerful creatures often placed in the hands of inept or ignorant owners. These dogs are facing extinction. They can not be allowed to be aggressive towards any animal, human or dog, anymore. I accept the history of my dog's breed. But please, for the sake of the Pit Bull, let's just leave dog fighting at that--history.

DELTONA -- Two loose pit bulls attacked two women out walking and two dogs, killing one, within a 30-minute time span here Saturday, according to a city animal control officer. The pit bulls were in custody at the Southeast Volusia Humane Society on Sunday, facing uncertain futures.The two women, Carmen Reyes, 55, and Leida Evangelidi, 77, were walking along Bailey Avenue at about 8:45 a.m. when the pit bulls -- a male and a female -- sprang on them from behind, Animal Control Officer Richard Lovett said. Roofers working in the area witnessed the attack and jumped to the ground to chase away the dogs with shovels. One dog lunged at sheriff's deputies, who were dispatched to the incident. A deputy fired one shot at the dogs but missed. The women were taken to Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City. Both were treated for multiple puncture wounds and released. Reyes, who was knocked down in the attack, received eight stitches to her right arm. Evangelidi received two stitches to close a calf wound. Lovett said the pit bulls attacked a Jack Russell terrier at about 8:35 a.m. after digging a hole under a fence around the yard of Anthony Pavek, owner of one of the pit bulls that got loose. The terrier was attacked on Bakersfield Avenue and died Saturday night from its wounds and trauma, Lovett said. The two women were bitten about 10 minutes later a block away from the first dog attack. Lovett arrived on the scene at about 8:50 a.m. and saw the pit bulls dash across Bakersfield Avenue and attack a Shetland sheep dog. Lovett said he broke up the last attack and the Sheltie's owner took the dog to a veterinarian where it was treated for wounds to its hind end. The pit bulls remained the area for about 20 minutes while Lovett and deputies tried to get the dogs to retreat into Pavek's fenced yard. Officials also rang the doorbell on Pavek's house for several minutes before he appeared and offered assistance. The dogs were captured and taken to the animal shelter. Lovett said the city has no record of prior complaints about Pavek's dog. The owner of the other dog had not been contacted Sunday afternoon to confirm ownership. Lovett said she lives in DeBary and he needs to talk to Volusia County Animal Control officials about a possible history on the dog. "Because of the sudden viciousness and the number of attacks in a short period, we'll deem the dogs dangerous and hope to put them down," Lovett said. "We give the owners 48 hours to decide if they want to surrender the animals to us for destruction or follow the laws for having a dangerous dogs. "The owners have until Monday to decide.
Community Debate
Pit Bulls: Pets or Killer Dogs?
This week's fatal attack by a pit bull on an unattended 14-month-old child in South Los Angeles put the popular breed in the spotlight as an aggressive and dangerous animal. According to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, pit bulls, Rottweilers and Dobermans lead the list of dogs most frequently involved in fatal attacks. MAURA E. MONTE LLANO spoke with a Northridge woman about the problems with pit bulls in her neighborhood and with a pit bull advocate.
PATRICIA E. BAKER
Caterer, Northridge
Until recently you could walk your dog without any problems in my middle-class neighborhood. But two weeks ago, I was out walking my dog--an Irish setter mix--when we came to a property surrounded by a wrought iron fence. All of a sudden, two dogs--one a pit bull--charged at the fence. The pit bull kept putting its face between the spokes of the fence. I noticed it had been digging a hole under the fence where it could extend its legs and its muzzle.
This was not a warning bark; this dog was in attack mode. It was clearly trying to get at us. The owners never came out even when they heard the commotion outside. I also noticed the dog did not have a dog tag. This dog has gotten loose before and people were terrified of it. After finally getting past that house, we went around the block only to find another pit bull hanging over a fence, its head, shoulders and legs, scrambling to get over the fence. You wonder what will happen when this dog finally, after getting worked up enough, manages to escape its holding cell.
I contacted animal control and was told that if the dog did not get over the fence and onto the sidewalk, there was nothing they could do. I asked if they could do something after it attacked me and, of course, only then could they. There is an elementary school near by, and I have seen children walk past this house and run across the street when these dogs come to the fence. They can't even walk on the sidewalk without the fear of being attacked by one of these dogs.
The breed has a potential for violence. These dogs are bred to destroy. If they panic, they will snap. We are not obligated to treat all dogs as equals; they are not people. Common sense and a concern for the safety of our communities tell us we must take a few simple steps to get this problem under control.
The City Council must enact strong nuisance laws to prohibit the storing of threatening, barking dogs in front yards. It is a public nuisance.
To hear about that poor child mauled to death is heartbreaking. It just furthers the argument that these dogs are loaded guns. That dog was a family pet. It seemed benign and there was no warning. No one could have predicted it. I'd like the city to strike while the iron is hot.
Community Debate
'It's More About Owner Than Dog'
As far as I'm concerned, there is no dog with a better temperament than the American pit bull terrier. I have been around these dogs for 20 years. I have taken them in, have worked closely with them and can say I have never been bitten, attacked, or in any way felt threatened by one.
These dogs are very good with people because they have been bred, historically, to be extremely people-stable. Before dog fighting was illegal, they were trained to fight dogs only. Dogs that bit humans out of pain or fear were culled.
This breed has been honed over generations to be a powerful fighting dog and it is one of the strongest dogs of any breed. Today, many of the people who fight these dogs also use them to guard illegal drugs. When they are used for illegal purposes, people have a vested interest in making the dogs aggressive.
All dog experts will tell you that it is the responsibility of the owner to train his or her pet, for any breed. For pit bull owners, it's about how they socialize them and how they train them. If the owners keep their dogs away from people while they are puppies, the dogs become stranger-wary. Dogs learn what they are taught. Puppies learn most about the world within the first five months; this is a critical socialization period for any dog.
Pit bulls were never meant to be protection dogs. If you have a well-bred and responsibly raised American pit bull terrier, it will often not be good protection against theft, though the breed does tend to be quite protective of the family. The classic pit bull is people-stable, enjoys attention, and thrives around children.
It's all about the owner. Alaska's first certified hearing dog was an American pit bull terrier. Helen Keller owned one. America's first war dog, Stubby, who served in World War I was a pit bull. Stubby was invited to the White House by two presidents and inspired the creation of the U.S. K-9 Corps. Unfortunately, if an owner wants an aggressive dog, he or she will produce one. In the the right hands, however, these dogs can be incredible pets. In the wrong hands, they can be dangerous.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/12/...ull.attack.ap/

here
http://www.dogexpert.com/Popular%20P...ullfriend.html

http://www.dogbitelegalcenter.com/re...tatistics.html

From http://www.local6.com/news/2710316/detail.html:

Dog Dies After Taking Bullet To Protect Its Owner

POSTED: 8:07 AM EST December 17, 2003

MILLVILLE, N.J. -- A man about to be shot by an intruder was saved when his dog jumped in and took the bullet for him, authorities said. The animal later died from its wound.

The shooting occurred early Monday when the 29-year-old man, who police would not identify, heard someone knock on a rear door at his Millville home. When he opened it, he saw two men, and one of them pulled out a shotgun.

As the homeowner dived to the floor to escape the gunman, authorities said the dog jumped between them and was shot one time before the two men fled. The dog's owner was not injured.

The shooting was drug related, authorities said, but further details about the dog and the weapon used were not available. The two men remained at large early Wednesday.

[missharpshooter]

I love dogs out at my dad's ranch we had Japanese Akitas beautiful dogs, my dog Bear was like human, the best dog I ever had, but the males did fight and I got bit several times. My next door neighbor had a German Shepard that came in our fenced yard and killed my poodle. Our other neighbor's dog a Bassett bit my Mom and they put her to sleep right away. Dog Owners should be held accountable, for any attack or loss of human life, the dogs should be put down and the owners face prosecution period. People that let there animals roam no matter what breed of dog should be cited, with a heavy fine......

Mauling puzzles boy's kin
By BONNIE ROCHMAN, Staff Writer

ANDERSON CREEK -- A "Beware of the Dog" sign is tacked to a tree in Veronica and Johnny Copley's front yard. But 3-year-old Nathan Roy Hill couldn't read.

Nathan's body was found crumpled Tuesday evening between his neighbors' two pit bulls -- one caged, the other chained, according to the Harnett County sheriff's department.

Only the chained dog was involved in the attack, and a sheriff's deputy had to shoot and kill him to retrieve Nathan's body. The other dog is being held by Harnett County Animal Control.

Deputies are investigating and expect to submit their findings this week to the district attorney's office, which will decide whether to file charges, said Maj. Gary McNeill of the sheriff's department. A preliminary autopsy by the state Medical Examiner's Office in Chapel Hill showed Wednesday that Nathan died of bites to his upper torso.

McNeill said Wednesday that the initial investigation indicates Nathan wandered to the concrete slab in a wooded area where the dog was chained.

But Christy Gambill, who lost her only child, said that doesn't make sense.

Nathan was a big fan of Scooby- Doo. But real-life panting, barking dogs scared him, she said. Gambill finds it difficult to imagine that her shy son with the blond crewcut and impish grin approached Jigs, the pit bull that mauled him.

"I don't know what happened," Gambill, 24, said at her ranch home Wednesday, her son's Winnie-the- Pooh sneakers lined up neatly outside the front door, his toy green truck overturned in the living room. "Reality hasn't hit yet."

Other neighbors told investigators that Jigs was seen earlier in the day running loose. The Copleys have been warned twice in the past five years to keep their dogs under control after neighbors complained they strayed too far from their home, said Tino Medina, animal control supervisor.

But Harnett County doesn't have a leash law. Even if Jigs had not been restrained, the Copleys weren't breaking any laws.

North Carolina has a "dangerous dogs" law that governs seizure of dogs that are violent or menacing. But Jigs had no history of violence, officials said.

Jennifer Shryock, a Cary canine behavior consultant, conducts workshops for expectant parents to help them prepare for potential conflict between dog and baby. She said pit bulls can make "absolutely fine" pets.

"But when a dog is chained up, anything going by, like a small child, is teasing to a dog, and the dog wants to get to it," she said. "The constant chafing against the chain makes it more aggressive and can lead to a more malicious response when it does finally make contact."

Veronica Copley lives next door to Nathan's family on a rural cul-de-sac of five homes. Her eyes rimmed with red Wednesday, she said she and her husband weren't friendly with Gambill or Nathan's stepfather, who is stationed in Iraq. But that didn't stop Nathan from coming over to play hide-and-seek with her 12-year-old son, also named Johnny, or watch movies with her. They'd pop in "Toy Story" or "A Bug's Life."

"I hate that this happened," she said. "He was tiny, so tiny."

The Copleys used to breed pit bulls -- at one point, they had 27 -- but they were down to two, and they were friendly dogs, Veronica Copley said. They owned Jigs for seven years.

"If he was a mean dog, I wouldn't let him around my child," she said. "We're looking awful bad because we had pit bulls, but they never bothered anybody."

Unchu Stein, another neighbor, said Jigs had strayed into her yard before. "That dog is trained to fight," she said.

Gambill said Nathan asked her whether he could go to the Copleys' home at 4:40 p.m. Tuesday. Her son gave her a kiss, she said, and she watched him walk up to their porch steps; then she turned and sat down to watch television. Gambill said Nathan often flitted from house to house on pine-fringed Doris Drive, so at 6 p.m., she called a different neighbor to ask whether Nathan was there.

Then, she said, she went next door to the Copleys. Veronica Copley answered the door and said she hadn't seen Nathan.

Gambill, a student at Fayetteville Technical Community College, started to worry. Within minutes, neighbors mobilized. Shouts of "Nathan!" pierced the darkness. Johnny Copley started driving around.

Veronica Copley said she asked Gambill a question: "You don't think he'd go with the dogs, do you?"

At 6:22 p.m., sheriff's deputies responded to a missing child report and found Nathan's body.

On Wednesday, his mother reminisced about her son -- how he already knew how to ride a big-boy bike with no training wheels, how he would help her clean the house and throw an occasional tantrum when she would deny him candy but still cuddle into her while watching television. "That was our bonding time," she said.

Nathan's biological father lives in Texas, but Gambill said her husband was the boy's father in all the important ways and was planning to adopt Nathan in the next few months. Instead, he is somewhere between Iraq and Anderson Creek, on his way home to help his wife pick out a pint-size casket.

http://www.fataldogattacks.com/index.html

Dog bite & attack statistics
The most recently published statistics are from 1994. Other statistical sources provide estimates of dog-related injuries.

In 2001, an estimated 68 million dogs were pets in the United States.

In 2001, an estimated 368,245 victims were treated for dog bite related injuries.

In 2001, children ages 5-9 had the highest dog-related injuries.

In 2001, an estimated 42% of dog bites (or 154,625) occurred in children age 14 and younger.

Approximately 7.9% of dog bites (or 16,476) were work-related.

Dog bite injury sites for all victims include:

45.3% to the arm/hand

25.8% to the leg/foot

22.8% to the head/neck.

For children 4 years and under, 64.9% of injuries were to the head/neck.

For those 15 and older, 86.2% of injuries from dog attacks were to the extremities.

Types of dog-related injuries recorded in Emergency Rooms:

26.4% as "dog bite"

40.2% as "puncture"

24.7% as "laceration"

6.0% as "contusion/abrasion/hematoma

1.5% as "cellulitis/infection"

0.8% as "amputation/avulsion/crush"

0.4% as "fracture/dislocation"

From 1979 through 1996, dog attacks resulted in more than 300 human dog-bite related deaths in the United States. Most of the victims were children.

In 1997 and 1998, at least 27 people died as a result of dog bite attacks (18 in 1997, and 9 in 1998). Of these, 19 were young children between zero and 11 years of age, and 8 were older children and adults between 17 and 87 years of age.

Of the 27 people who died as a result of dog bite attacks in 1997 and 1998, 67 percent (18) involved unrestrained dogs on the owner's property; 19 percent (5) involved unrestrained dogs off the owner's property; 11 percent (3) involved restrained dogs on the owner's property; and 4 percent (1) involved a restrained dog off the owner's property.

60 percent of the fatal dog bite attacks by unrestrained dogs that occurred off the owner's property in 1997 and 1998 involved attacks by more than one dog.

Of the 27 people who died as a result of dog bite attacks during 1997 and 1998, 67 percent (18) involved an attack by one dog; 19 percent (5) involved an attack by two dogs; and 15 percent (4) involved an attack by 3 dogs.

17 states accounted for the 27 dog bite fatalities that occurred in 1997 and 1998. They were: California (4 deaths); Georgia and North Carolina (3 deaths each); Kansas, Texas, and Wisconsin (2 deaths each); and Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, South Dakota, and Tennessee (1 death each).

Rottweilers and Pit Bulls were involved in 60 percent of the 27 dog bite fatalities that occurred in 1997 and 1998. Rottweilers were involved in 10 deaths, and Pit Bulls were involved in 6.

From 1979 through 1998, at least 25 breeds of dogs have been involved in 238 human dog bite related deaths. Pit Bulls and Rottweilers were involved in more than 50 percent of these deaths.

Between 1979 and 1998, 58 percent of human deaths involved attacks by unrestrained dogs who were on their owner's property at the time of the attack.

It has been estimated that about 4.5 million people (nearly 2 percent of the American population) are bitten by dogs each year.

In 1994, of the estimated 4.7 million people who were bitten by dogs, 800,000 sought medical care. Of these, 332,000 sought treatment in emergency rooms, and 6,000 were hospitalized.

It has been estimated that nearly 334,000 dog bite injuries are treated in emergency departments each year.

Of those hospitalized for dog bite injuries in 1994, 55 percent were male.

The average hospital stay for a dog-bite injury has been estimated at 3.6 days.

In 1994, hospital charges for dog-bite victims was estimated at $62.5 million.

In 1994, emergency department charges for dog-bite victims was estimated at $102.4 million, and direct medical care charges incurred as a result of dog bites was estimated at $164.9 million.

[mark8252]

I live in Colorado. Dogs are no more a problem here than anywhere else.
I have never had a problem with a dog. I do not know anyone that has had a problem. Pest maybe but life threating........no.

My problem has been with coyotes. I camp in very rural areas, sometimes 10-20 miles from a light pole or stop sign. I have had on two occasions in just this year... coyotes get to close for comfort. I have had them howl from in front of me and behind me at the same time. Not a good feeling. There is no way in hell I will camp in these areas without a firearm. Never see a bear. Never see a mountain lion. Its always coyotes. Wild dogs do not last long in Colorado.....to many predators. The biggest meanest dog is lunch to a mountain lion.

I've been attacked and bitten..