Colorado
Are Dogs A Real Danger?
A National Canine Reseach Council Perspective Report
Over the past 43 years (1965 - 2007) there have been ten (10) fatal dog attacks in Colorado, or on average, one (1) fatality every four (4) years.
At least nine (9) different breeds/types of dogs have been identified as participating in the ten (10) fatal attacks in Colorado.
The victims were: 2 adults and 8 children.
In 1977, three loose roaming dogs killed a girl in Breckenridge. The owners and caretakers were charged with criminally negligent homicide for the reckless management of their dogs.
In 1983, a dog inflicted serious injuries to an 8-year-old Denver boy. The owner of the dog was sued, charged and placed on probation. Unable (or unwilling) to pay the medical expenses for this child, the civil suit against the owner was dropped. Undaunted by his inability to meet the financial and moral responsibility to the boy who was injured by one of his dogs, the owner proceeded to obtain additional dogs. In 1986, one of his newly acquired dogs, a Pit bull, kept chained in a carport, attacked and killed an unsupervised 3-year-old child who had wandered over to it.
Instead of instituting laws to severely penalize or punish owners such as this who repeatedly obtain dogs, breed these dogs, and maintain these animals in a condition in which they have the ability and opportunity to attack children, Denver opted to ban the breed of dog. Additionally, this was the first documented fatal attack by a Pit bull in the state of Colorado, yet banning a breed of dog - instead of addressing dangerous owners - was heralded by Denver as the "cure" for dog attacks.
In 2003, three loose roaming dogs attacked and killed a woman in Elbert County. The owners of these dogs had a history of allowing their dogs to roam loose, harass, attack and injure persons in the neighborhood. They were charged with owning dangerous dogs resulting in death. One owner, J. McCuen was convicted and received a 6-year prison sentence.
In spite the reckless ownership practices of some dog owners, dogs still pose an incredibly low risk for causing a fatality:
Fatal Dog Attacks in Colorado as Compared to Other Selected Risks:
Snapshot of Colorado: 2005
| Persons killed by dogs: | 0 |
| Persons killed by lightning: | 1 |
| Child hyperthermia death (left in hot car): | 1 |
| Bicycle-related fatalities: | 12 |
| Persons drowned in tub or swimming pool: | 15 |
| ATV-related fatalities: | 16 |
| Alcohol-related traffic fatalities: | 252 |
| Total traffic fatalites (alcohol & non): | 606 |
| Tobacco-related deaths: | > 4,100 |
Furthermore, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
In 2005, twenty (20) Colorado children died as a result of maltreatment (abuse or neglect) in Colorado.
In a SINGLE YEAR, 2005, more than TWICE as many Colorado children died from maltreatment (abuse/neglect) than the TOTAL of ALL children killed by dogs in Colorado over the past 43 years.
So, are dogs a real danger? In fact, people in Colorado routintely accept far greater risks from ATVs, bicycles, and swimming pools than any that are associated with companion animals.