Rumor: An AKC Recipent of Awards for Canine Excellence - Companion Animal 2007

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

While dogs continue to serve in many of their traditional functions, dogs have also taken on new and unique tasks that enhance the lives of their owners and the community. Therapy, medical assistance, and search and rescue are only a few of the many services dogs provide.

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.

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 three decades, increased awareness of the importance of humane care and control, 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.

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Lincoln, Nebraska: Addressing Dog Bites Reasonably and Responsibly

July 2009: Lincoln officials are considering changes to a city ordinance to put more teeth into the consequences for owners whose dogs bite.

Officials are not targeting particular breeds of dogs, such as "pit bull" dogs. They are, instead, looking to crack down on careless dog owners.

Bruce Dart with the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department says his department is considering a number of proposed changes, including citing owners if their dogs run loose and aggressively approach people. Animals would be impounded if they or their owners violate the ordinance three times within 24 months.

Other proposals would cite owners the first time their dogs bite and increase fines for letting their dogs run loose, menacing or biting.

National Canine Research Council

Over the past 45 years (1965-present) there have been six (6) dog bite-related fatalities in Nebraska, an average of one (1) fatality every seven to eight years.

NCRC's 2011 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.

Five (5) different breeds/types of dogs were reported to be involved in these incidents.*

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

All six incidents involved young children.

In 1974, a 2-year-old boy wandered over to a chained dog and was killed. (Sarpy)

In 1984, a 5-year-old boy was attacked and killed on his parents' farm by their resident dog. (Culbertson).

In 1989, a 3-year-old girl was seen poking a chained dog with a stick before the dog attacked and killed her. (Omaha)

In 1990, a 7-year-old boy was killed by his grandparent's dog while visiting their farm. (Richardson County)

In 2002, a dog escaped from a kennel and killed a 4-year-old boy. The dog was being trained for police work. (Lancaster)

In 2003, a 3-year-old girl wandered out into the backyard of her aunt and uncle's home and was attacked and killed by their dog. (Saronville)

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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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In spite of the negligent ownership practices of some dog owners and/or parents, dogs still pose an incredibly low risk for causing a fatality in Nebraska:

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

In 2007, sixteen (16) Nebraska children died as the result of maltreatment (abuse, neglect).

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

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

National Canine Research Council