Dog Bites in Colorado July 2007- June 2012: Data, Conclusions, and Colorado Dog Bite Data Tips for Keeping Communities Safer
About CLSD Coalition s purpose Assist local governments in creating and enforcing effective dangerous dog laws Collect data to better understand why dogs bite Provide information to the community about dog bite prevention
About CLSD Coalition comprised of 7 organizations All Breed Rescue Network Animal Assistance Foundation Colorado Association of Animal Control Officers Colorado Association of Certified Veterinary Technicians Colorado Federation of Animal Welfare Agencies Colorado Veterinary Medical Association Metro Denver Shelter Alliance
The Need to Collect Bite Data Why collect bite data? Assist in making informed decisions about dangerous dog legislation Focus community resources and education efforts Support animal management and animal welfare programs Lack of studies based on data reported by animal control officers (ACOs)
Innovative Approach Previous studies Colorado Department of Health & Environment Centers for Disease Control (2001) limited to emergency room reports and insurance company data CLSD Bite Data Study first comprehensive collection and analysis through animal control agencies most rigorous study of its type
Data Collection Effort Process developed to accurately report and understand bite incidents Partnership with the Colorado Association of Animal Control Officers (CAACO) for data collection Web-based survey instrument developed for use by reporting animal control agencies Year-one data analysis by Corona Research
About the Survey Bite incident data collected from July 2007 through June 2012 Data reported online by animal control officers 22 participating animal control agencies - 11 agencies participated for all 5 years Survey respondents (ACOs) serve approximately 80% of the human and dog populations of Colorado
Reported Bite Incidents 11,484 bite incidents reported over 5 years Average of 2,297 (+/- 168) bite incidents reported annually 8,449 bite incidents reported over the 5- year period by the 11 agencies that reported for all 5 years
Key Findings Most dogs do NOT bite Based on reports to animal control, less than 1% of dogs bite a human Any dog can bite Bites from 165 different breeds were reported Maulings and fatalities are extremely rare 0.6% of reported incidents were maulings, with only one fatality Most bites are preventable
Bite Rate Estimate 1,941,000 households in CO US Census Bureau, 2011 0.584 dogs per household AVMA Pet Ownership Demographics Sourcebook, 2012 Thus, total dogs in CO equals 1,133,544 1,941,000 x 0.584 84% of CO population is on the Front Range, where the study was primarily conducted Thus, there are ~952,177 dogs in the study area 1,133,544 x 84%
Bite Rate Estimate 2,297 bites per year from 952,177 dogs on the Front Range during the five-year study period Thus, 0.2% of the dog population had reported bites 2,297 952,177 Even if CLSD data represent only 20% of the actual bites, the 0.2% would increase to 1.0% Thus, ~99% of dogs DON T bite
Bite Location Most bites occurred at home Location of Bite Incident 0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% 25.00% 30.00% 35.00% 40.00% Home-Indoors Home-Outdoors 57% At Large-No Owner Present Public-Off Leash Public-On Leash
Bite Circumstances 0.00% 2.00% 4.00% 6.00% 8.00% 10.00% 12.00% 14.00% 16.00% 18.00% At Large Other Unprovoked Protecting Property Dog/Dog Aggression-Off Leash Provoked Unknown Startled Play Bite Fear-Based Aggression Dominance-Based Aggression Possessive Aggression-Food Vicitim Left Unsupervised Dog/Dog Agreesion-On Leash Injured Tethered Vet Office Possessive Aggression-Toy Hit By Car Grooming Maternal-Based Agression Doggie Day Care
Bite Severity Level of Bite Injury 0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00% 70.00% 80.00% Minor Moderate Severe Minor = Bruising/one puncture Moderate = Multiple punctures Severe = Multiple punctures and lacerations; includes maulings (severe bodily injury) Bite incidents involving police dogs are not included.
About the Dogs That Bit Adolescent dogs bit more frequently than puppies or older dogs <1 Yr 1 Yr 2 Yr 3 Yr 4 Yr 5 Yr 6 Yr 7 Yr 8 Yr 9 Yr 10 Yr 11 Yr 12 Yr 13 Yr 14 Yr 15 Yr 16 Yr 17 Yr 18 Yr 19 Yr 20 Yr Unknown Percentage of Bites by Age of the Dog 0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% 25.00% 30.00% 35.00%
About the Dogs That Bit Sex and Reproductive Status of the Dog 0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% 25.00% 30.00% 35.00% 40.00% Male/Unknown Male Unneutered Male Neutered Female Unknown Female Unspayed Female Spayed Sex Unknown
About the Dogs That Bit Breeds that bit Bites were reported for 165 breeds 93 breeds bit 10 times or more Not enough information to draw conclusions about whether one breed is more or less likely to bite No dog census in Colorado to determine if number of bites is proportional to each breed
About the Dogs That Bit Top 10 Breeds of Dog That Bit Rank Total Percent of Total Breed 1 1287 11.29% Labrador Retreiver 2 1065 9.35% Pit Bull 3 877 7.70% German Shepherd 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 532 4.67% Chihuahua - Smooth Coated 380 3.33% Rottweiler 379 3.33% Border Collie 365 3.20% Australian Shepherd 345 3.03% Boxer 314 2.76% Australian Cattle Dog 283 2.48% Chow Chow
About the Victim Percentage of Dog Bites by Victim's Age Unknown 75> yr 65-74 Yr 55-64 Yr 45-54 Yr 35-44 Yr 25-34 Yr 18-24 Yr 11-17 Yr 10 Yr or Less 0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% 25.00% 30.00%
About the Victim Sex of the Victim 0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00% Male 50.97% Female 47.51% Unknown 1.52%
Victim/Owner Relationship Relationship of Victim to Dog's Owner 0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% 25.00% 30.00% 35.00% No Relationship Neighbor Owner/Victim Same Member of Household Visitor Service Provider Unknown
Key Take-Aways Any dog can bite, regardless of breed, age or sex Most dogs (99%) don t bite Severity of most reported bites is minor All reported bites, regardless of severity, are resource intensive continued
Key Take-Aways (continued) Most bites are preventable Many potential bite circumstances can be avoided Education about living safely with dogs is needed to reduce the number of bites For example: Select the appropriate dog for your lifestyle and environment Socialize your dog with people and other dogs, and provide obedience training Supervise your children around dogs Obey leash laws
Next Steps in Your Community Encourage ACOs and veterinarians to educate dog owners and members of public Encourage reporting of bites so that behavior of individual dogs/owners can be addressed Maintain robust animal care and control programs, which are critical in preventing and tracking dog bites Enact ordinances that effectively address bite circumstances and individual dog/owner behavior