Alabama
Are Dogs A Real Danger?
A National Canine Research Council Perspective Report
Over the past 43 years (1965 - present) there have been 14 fatal dog attacks in Alabama, or an average of 1 fatal attack every three years.
At least seven (7) different breeds/types of dogs have been identified as participating in a fatal attack in Alabama.
All the dogs involved in fatal attacks in Alabama were intact (not spayed or neutered).
The victims were: 5 adults and 9 children.
Two adult males were killed when they attempted to interact with guard dogs chained at a business location (1988, 2006).
One of the children killed by dogs was a case of a young woman who gave birth to an infant and discarded the infant behind a shed in the backyard. Neighboring dogs wandered over, found the infant and mauled her (1983).
Another child was killed by a chained dog that was so relentlessly teased by children that its leg had been broken. The owner was aware of the torment to his dog and had taken no action to prevent it or to seek medical attention for the dog (1982).
In 2005, an Alabama dog owner was sentenced to 15 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter after his abusive ownership practices resulted in his dog attacking and killing his elderly neighbor.
In spite of the abusive and dangerous ownership practices of some dog owners, dogs still pose an incredibly low risk for causing a fatality:
Fatal Dog Attacks in Alabama as Compared to Other Selected Risks:
Snapshot of Alabama: 2005
| Persons killed by dogs: | 1 |
| Child hyperthermia deaths (left in hot car): | 1 |
| Death after contact w/hornets, bees or wasps: | 1 |
| Persons struck by lightning: | 2 |
| Persons drowned in tubs or swimming pools: | 9 |
| Bicycle-related fatalities: | 12 |
| ATV-related fatalities: | 16 |
| Alcohol-related traffic fatalities: | 445 |
| Total traffic fatalities (alcohol & non): | 1,148 |
| Tobacco-related deaths:: | 7,400 |
Furthermore, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
In 2005, twenty-four (24) children died as the result of maltreatment (abuse/neglect) in Alabama.
In a SINGLE YEAR (2005), more than TWO TIMES as many Alabama children died from maltreatment than the TOTAL of ALL children killed by dogs in Alabama over the past 43 years.
So, are dogs a real danger? In fact, people in Alabama routinely accept far greater risks from ATVs, bicycles, and swimming pools than any that are associated with companion animals.
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