Category: Dog Bites

The pit bull type dog has its fans and its critics.  The website, Pitbullinfo.org., is very supportive of the breed.  The website, Dogsbite.org., is very critical of the breed.

The pit bull includes the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Bully. Some also include the American Bulldog in this category.  It may also include any mixed breed dog that is a combination of these dogs.

The November 2015 edition of The Veterinary Journal casts doubt on the ability to identify the breed of dogs based on appearance alone.  Animal shelter personnel missed one in five dogs genetically confirmed as pit bull type dogs.  They identified one in three dogs without pit bull DNA as pit bulls.  The article states that nearly one-half of the 70 million dogs in the United States are mixed breed dogs.

The Dogsbite.org website states that the pit bull can inflict acute damage because of its “hold and shake” bite style, attack of the deep muscles and reluctance to stop the attack.  This website contains numerous reports of deadly pit bull attacks.

The October 2017 edition of the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery—Global Open Journal article, by Kaveh, M.D., et.al., contained a retrospective of pediatric patient dog bites.  The article concluded that, among the breeds that could be identified, pit bulls accounted for significant injuries and their bites were five times more likely to require operative repair than other breeds.  The pit bull bites caused more facial injuries requiring plastic surgeon reconstructive repairs.

The Pitbullinfo.org website has a different view of the pit bull breed.  The website states that pit bull-type dogs “…make outstanding canine citizens and are loving companions in millions of U.S. households.”  The website estimates that pit bull-type dogs now comprise approximately 20% of the U.S. dog population or fourteen million.   The website states that there are over twenty different breeds and mixes that can be misidentified as a pit bull, some of which are the Bullmastiff, Dogo Argentino, American Bulldog and Cane Corso.

The point of this Blog is to be aware of the pit bull type breed and its possibilities.  Many people love the breed and most of them are probably loveable pets.  One thing The Plastic Surgery Journal article noted was that approximately half of the dog bite cases result from household pet dogs with children, ages 9 to 12 years, being the most common victim.

Be aware.  Be careful.  Avoid trouble. Any dog can bite.

Dogs of any breed might bite, but some breeds account for a much larger percentage of dog bites than others.

The Allegheny County Department of Health tracks reported dog bites.  Dog bites that occurred in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania are included in these county statistics.  .

In 2017, the Allegheny County Health Department received reports of 1,330 dog bites.

Dog bites occurred from the following dog breeds:  Mixed Breed (184 bites or 24%), Pit Bull (160 bites or 21.1%), German Shepherd (60 bites or 7.9%), Labrador Retriever (30 bites or 4%), Boxer (23 bites or 3%), Rottweiler (22 bites or 2.9%), Mastiff (20 bites or 2.8%), Bulldog (20 bites or 2.6%), Husky (20 bites or 2.6%), and Beagle (16 bites or 2.1%) These breeds accounted for the top 10 breed types involved in dog bites in Allegheny County in 201, accounting for 536 of the 1,330 dog bites or approximately 40% of the bites.

There were 82,716 dogs licensed in Allegheny County in 2017.  Labrador Retrievers make up 12.8% of dogs licensed in Allegheny County, while Mixed Breed is at 12.5%, Pit Bulls at 3.6%. German Shepherds at 4.9%.  The large number of the popular Labrador Retrievers (10,620) registered v. Pit Bull (2,983) registered may account for the Lab’s presence on this chart.

While any dog can bite, it is best to avoid certain breeds, unless the dog is known to you.  Notably, the Pit Bull represents only 3.6% of the registered dogs but accounted for 21.1% of the dog bites.

The “mixed breed” designation, which accounted for 24% of all dog bites, is ambiguous.  It would be helpful to know which breeds might compose these “mixed breeds.”

April has two Dog Bite Prevention weeks.  National Dog Bite Prevention Week was April 7-13, 2019.  This is followed by the U.S. Postal Service Dog Bite Prevention Week April 14-20, 2019.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), estimates that  350,000 people received medical treatment for dog bites in the United States in 2017.  Approximately 10,600 of these were children two years old or younger.

The American Medical Association (AMA) states that dog bites are the second leading cause of childhood injury.

According to the U.S. Postal Service, 5,714 postal employees were attacked by dogs in the United States in 2018.  The Postal Service has taken steps to reduce these attacks, which are down 500 from 2017 and down more than 1,000 from 2016.  It is reported that Pennsylvania had 252 such incidents in 2017, down from 277 the preceding year.

Any dog might bite.  Be careful as dog bites tend to increase during the warm weather starting in May.