Dangerous Dog Breeds
Dogs are arguably the most popular pet in the United States. However, dog bites are incredibly common in this country. Data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that approximately 800,000 people seek medical care each year due to dog bites in this country. Most people have an idea of what they consider to be a “dangerous dog” breed. In many places, certain types of dogs are restricted. You may have even seen that certain apartment complexes or residential areas ban the ownership of certain breeds of dogs.
Here, our dog attack lawyers in Sacramento want to discuss which breeds are considered the most dangerous in the United States. We also want to give you some information about what you can do if you or a loved one have been bitten and injured by a dog.
The Most Dangerous Dog Breeds
Data available from DogsBite.org, a public education and research non-profit, suggests that the two most dangerous dog breeds in the United States are rottweilers and pit bull terriers. During the 15-year period from 2005 to 2019, dogs killed 521 people in America. Out of these incidents, rottweilers and pit bulls were responsible for 76% of the total fatalities.
Data gathered since 2005 shows that pit bulls and their breed mixes have caused fatal dog bite attacks at 6.5 times the rate of rottweilers. Research indicates that pit bulls pose a substantial danger because they have been selectively bred for dogfighting for decades. Additionally, data shows that, unlike other dog breeds, pit bulls often do not communicate their intention to attack beforehand. In other words, a large percentage of Pitbull attacks are surprise attacks. Pit bulls also have a lethal bite style in which they hold and shake a person after the bite.
Other Fighting Dog Breeds
There are other dog breeds that have been bred to fight in the United States as well. These are breeds that pose a significant threat to public safety, and many jurisdictions have banned the following:
- American bulldog
- Cane corso
- Dogo argentine
- Fila brasileiro
- Presa canario
- Presa mallorquin
- Tosa inu
Wolf-Dog Hybrids
Various states throughout this country regulate the breeding and ownership of wolf-dog hybrids. This is a canid hybrid that results from breeding a dog and a wolf. However, data shows that this crossbreed can be deadly. Wolf-dog hybrids accounted for many deaths over the last few decades, though researchers say that statistics are likely underreported because many dog owners mislabel this crossbreed as husky or malamute-mixes in order to evade detection and enforcement of hybrid laws.
How to Handle a Dog Bite
If you or somebody you care about has been bitten and injured by a dog, you need to seek legal assistance as soon as possible. A personal injury attorney will be able to conduct a full investigation into the incident and help walk you through the entire process of recovering compensation. An attorney will have a thorough understanding of California’s strict liability dog bite laws and will be able to negotiate with aggressive insurance carriers in order to ensure you are fully compensated. This can include coverage of your medical bills, lost income, household out-of-pocket expenses, pain and suffering damages, scarring and disfigurement damages, and more.