Adam:  Therapy dog owned by Suzanne and Greg Vening, Florence, MS *

How many faithful dogs served their masters well in Mississippi can never be known.   What is known, is that throughout the years many people in Mississippi have relied on dogs to assist in everyday life and to provide companionship.

Above and beyond their place as family companions and  in traditional service occupations, dogs in Mississippi serve in an ever-widening spectrum of therapeutic roles. The physical and emotional benefits to humans that come from relationships with dogs are now recognized and utilized by psychiatric facilities, assisted living centers, hospitals, schools and even prisons.

Today, dogs contribute more to the welfare of individuals and society than perhaps any other time in the history of the human-dog bond.  Additionally, over the past three decades, increased awareness of the importance of humane care and control of dogs, the enactment and enforcement of leash laws, and dog bite prevention education, have all been instrumental in drastically lowering the number of reported dog-related injuries nationwide.

* Adam, an Australian Shepherd, was a 2006 AKC Awards for Canine Excellence Honorable Mention Therapy dog.

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Gunther

Sun Herald,  January 24, 2009:      Deaf "pit bull" and Rescuer "meant to be"

Nine months ago Gunther, a local "pit bull", was in ominous circumstances. He was homeless, infested with mange and parasites and had a too-small collar embedded and festering around his neck.

Gunther now has a loving home and has become a contest winner.

Pass Christian Police officer Rebecca Hengen already had several dogs and no intention of adopting another when she got the stray-dog call that led her to Gunther.

Gunther is the most recent winner of ASPCA’s Adopt-A-Bull contest, sponsored by Animal Farm Foundation.

“The man who reported him said that the dog had been hanging around for a few days, and no one knew where he belonged,” said Hengen. “With a little coaxing I was able to put him in the front seat of my patrol car. He very calmly rode to the shelter with his head in my lap.”

Hengen said she was taken by the dog’s trust, but was worried his chances for adoption would be slim. His condition was appalling and she said the vicious stereotype of his breed was against him.

The Human Society of South Mississippi’s staff had nicknamed the white dog Ghost; Hengen checked on him daily. On the third day Hengen said the kennel attendant told her the dog was probably deaf.

“He didn’t wake up or start barking like the other dogs when someone came in,” she said. “He couldn’t hear what was going on.”

Although her heart had gone out to the "pit bull" from the beginning, Hengen didn’t make the decision to adopt him until the following day when she received inspiration — through the comics.

“I read the daily comic strip ‘Mutts,’ by Patrick McDonnell,” she said. “That week Mr. McDonnell was doing a series of shelter stories. On about the fourth day Gunther was at the shelter, a strip ran with a white dog that looked like him. The dog says ‘Sure, I know I’m deaf, but I’d still make a great companion. Just do like I do, listen to your heart.’”

Although Hengen had already given her heart to Gunther, she still wanted to be sure she and the dog were a good fit. Through the ASPCA’s Meet Your Match Program, animals and adopters are assessed for compatibility. Gunther’s assessment showed he is an orange, “goofball” type and Hengen’s adopter survey showed her lifestyle and expectations for a dog would fit best with that type dogs.

“It was meant to be,” said Hengen.

She said Gunther is happy, smiling dog and everyone compliments him on his good behavior. He quickly overcame his hearing difficulty, said Hengen, by bonding with another of her dogs, Maggie May.

“They come inside and outside together,” said Hengen. “If he doesn’t know what to do, he just looks to see what Maggie is doing.”

National Canine Research Council

What is a dog bite?

While the question seems simple enough, the answer is often not what we imagine.

Over the past 3 decades, increased awareness of the importance of humane care and control of dogs, the enactment and enforcement of leash laws, and dog bite prevention education, have all been instrumental in lowering the number of reported dog-related injuries nationwide.

National Canine Research Council

Over the past 45 years (1965-present) there have been ten (10) dog bite-related fatalities in Mississippi.

NCRC's 2010 Preliminary Report on Dog Bite-Related Fatalities illustrates the challenge of accurately reporting on these extremely rare, tragic events. Our mission of preserving the human-canine bond obligates us to be as accurate about these emotionally charged incidents as we can, so that they are calmly, correctly and, therefore, usefully understood. Accuracy takes time.

At least six (6) different breeds/types of dogs were reported to be involved in these incidents.*

None of the dogs involved in dog bite-related fatalities in Mississippi had been spayed or neutered by their owners.

The victims were 2 adults and 8 children.

All the children killed by dogs in Missisippi were killed by unfamiliar dogs (i.e., dogs not known to the child or dogs that were chained or isolated from humans).

See:    What is the difference between a “resident dog” and a “family dog?”

In 1975, a 78-year-old woman was killed in the kitchen of her home by a large pack of dogs she owned.  (Fayette)

In 1979, a 4-year-old boy was killed after he approached a neighbor's chained dog. (Mendenhall)

In 1984, a 7-year-old boy was playing near his home when attacked by a small pack of stray dogs. (Holly Springs)

In 1998, a 3-year-old girl was killed by her babysitter's four dogs. (Tate County)

In 2004, a one-month-old girl was attacked by a dog at the home her mother was visiting. (Harrison)

In 2006, Javlyin Anderson, a 15-month-old girl was killed after she wandered over to one of two dogs chained in her backyard. (Newton County)

In 2008, Tony Evans, 3, was unsupervised when he approached a neighbor's dog that was chained to a carport. The intact, male dog  was acquired and maintained to be a "guard dog."   (Jackson) 

In 2009, Destiny Knox, a one-year-old girl, was killed by her babysitter's dog, which broke loose from its chain. (Union County)

For information on this case and other dog bite-related fatalities that occurred in 2009, please see 2009 NCRC Final Report on Dog Bite-Related Fatalities. 

In 2010, Anatasia Bingham,  a 5-year-old girl, was killed by unknown dog(s) while playing outside her home in Hinds County.  As of date, the dog(s) responsible has not been identified.

In 2011, Ronnie Waldo, 51, was killed by his neighbor's dogs when he entered onto the property.  (Pontotoc County)

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*Note: In recent years, scientists have established that visual identification of dogs of unknown origin is extremely unreliable; therefore, while we can be sure these listed incidents involved varied types of dogs, we cannot be certain of the accuracy of most breed identifications.

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Despite the recklessness of some dog owners, dogs still pose an incredibly low risk for causing a fatality in Mississippi:

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According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

In 2007,  nineteen (19)  Mississippi children died as a result of maltreatment (abuse, neglect).

In the  single year of 2007, more than twice as many Mississippi children died from maltreatment than the total of all children killed by dogs in the state over the past 45 years.

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Fact is, people in Mississippi routinely accept far greater risks from ATVs, swimming pools, and bicycles than any that are associated with companion animals.

National Canine Research Council