Arizona
Are Dogs A Real Danger?
A National Canine Research Council Perspective Report
Over the past 43 years (1965 - present) there have been eleven (11) fatal dog attacks in
At least eight (8) breeds of dogs have been identified as participating in the eleven (11) fatalities.
The victims were: 5 adults and 6 children. Two of the six children killed by dogs were newborn infants left unattended with a dog.
A significant number of the fatal attacks in
In 2004, J. Caulkin was convicted of manslaughter and received a 5-year sentence after her dogs escaped and killed a 4-year-old girl playing next door. The dogs had a history of aggression and had repeatedly escaped from their owner's home/yard.
In 2006, a 2-year-old boy was killed when he was allowed to play outside, unsupervised, with his parents' two guard dogs. Police arrived at the scene and found evidence of drug activity and drug-trafficking. Within days after the attack, the body of the child was sent to Mexico and the parents are believed to have fled the country.
At times, people place themselves in direct danger of being attacked by dogs, and only on the rarest of occassions does this reckless behavior result in a fatality:
In 2001, three men scaled a fence and trespassed onto the property of a ceramic business where two guard dogs were kept. The dogs attacked one of the men. The other two men fled, leaving their "friend" to fight the dogs off by himself. The man died from blood loss and was found two days later when employees arrived on Monday morning to open the business.
In spite of the dangerous ownership practices of some dog owners, and the reckless behavior of some individuals, dogs still pose an incredibly low risk for causing a fatality:
Fatal Dog Attacks in Arizona as Compared to Other Selected Risks:
Snapshot of Arizona: Year 2005
| Persons killed by dogs: | 0 |
| Death from contact w/ hornets, bees or wasps: | 2 |
| Child hyperthermia deaths (left in hot cars): | 3 |
| Persons killed by lightning: | 3 |
| ATV-related deaths: | 30 |
| Persons drowned in swimming pool: | 30 |
| Bicycle-related deaths: | 42 |
| Alcohol-related traffic fatalities: | 508 |
| Total traffic fatalities (alcohol & non): | 1,179 |
| Tobacco-related deaths: | 8,800 |
Furthermore, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
In 2005, twenty-two (22) children in Arizona died as a result of maltreatment.
In a SINGLE YEAR, 2005, more than THREE TIMES as many children died from maltreatment (abuse/neglect) than the TOTAL of ALL children killed by dogs in Arizona over the past 43 years.
So, are dogs a real danger? In fact, people in Arizona routinely accept far greater risks from ATVs, bicycles and swimming pools than any that are associated with companion animals.
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