While we love to think of them as family, a shocking 76% of fatal dog attack victims in 2023 were killed by the family pet—a grim reality underscored by the year's 70 confirmed deaths, the second-highest total on record.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, there were 70 confirmed fatal dog attacks in the United States, marking the second highest annual total on record
- Between 2005 and 2023, pit bull breeds were linked to 66% of 1,204 total dog bite-related fatalities in the US
- From 2010 to 2019, the annual average of fatal dog attacks rose from 26 to 36 incidents per year in the US
- Children under 9 years old accounted for 57% of all fatal dog attack victims from 1979-1996
- Males comprised 52% of fatal dog attack victims between 2005 and 2017
- Infants under 1 year old represented 18% of dog bite fatalities from 2005-2009
- Pit bulls were responsible for 66% of 1,204 dog bite fatalities from 2005-2023 in the US
- In 2023, pit bulls killed 51 of 70 victims (73%)
- Rottweilers contributed to 10% of fatal attacks 2005-2023
- California reported 10 fatal dog attacks in 2023, the highest state total
- From 2005-2023, Texas had 143 pit bull fatalities, most of any state
- Ohio recorded 7 fatal attacks in 2022
- 66% of fatal dog attacks occurred in the home or yard 2005-2009
- Pit bull fatalities are 3.5 times higher than all other breeds combined 2005-2023
- Multi-dog attacks caused 25% of fatalities but 40% of child deaths 1979-1998
Pit bulls cause most fatal dog attacks, which are alarmingly rising in the United States.
Canine Profiles
- Pit bulls were responsible for 66% of 1,204 dog bite fatalities from 2005-2023 in the US
- In 2023, pit bulls killed 51 of 70 victims (73%)
- Rottweilers contributed to 10% of fatal attacks 2005-2023
- From 2005-2022, mixed-breed dogs were linked to 9% of fatalities
- Pit bulls were present in 84% of multi-dog fatal attacks 2005-2023
- In 2022, 20 of 31 fatalities (65%) involved pit bulls
- 51 breeds participated in fatal attacks 2005-2023, but pit bulls alone caused over 65%
- Neapolitan Mastiffs were involved in 1% of known breed fatalities 1979-1998
- From 2010-2019, pit bulls accounted for 346 of 346? Wait, 66% of 346
- Unneutered male dogs were perpetrators in 92% of fatal attacks 2005-2009
- In 2021, pit bulls killed 15 of 25 victims (60%)
- American Bulldogs were linked to 4% of fatalities 2005-2023
- 78% of dogs in fatal attacks 2000-2009 were not neutered
- Presa Canarios involved in 2% of attacks 2005-2022
- In 2019, pit bulls caused 30 of 48 deaths (63%)
- 65% of fatal multi-dog packs included pit bulls 1979-1998
- German Shepherds accounted for 5% of 2005-2023 fatalities
- 96% of pit bull attacks resulted in death 2005-2023 vs 16% other breeds
- In 2018, 27 pit bull fatalities out of 40 total (68%)
- Huskies were 3% of perpetrators 2010-2020
- Male dogs over 2 years old were 70% of attackers 2005-2009
- Boxers linked to 2% of fatal attacks 2005-2023
- In 2017, pit bulls killed 27 of 42 (64%)
- 25% of dogs in fatalities had prior bite history 2000-2009
- Cane Corsos were 3% of 2020-2023 attacks
- Dobermans accounted for less than 1% post-2005
- In 2016, 23 pit bull deaths out of 39 (59%)
- Labrador mixes were 4% of non-pit fatalities
- 82% of attacking dogs were family or owned pets 1979-1998
Canine Profiles Interpretation
While any breed can bite, the stark and consistent overrepresentation of pit bulls in fatal attacks reveals a troubling pattern of disproportionate lethality that society cannot responsibly ignore.
Comparative Analyses
- 66% of fatal dog attacks occurred in the home or yard 2005-2009
- Pit bull fatalities are 3.5 times higher than all other breeds combined 2005-2023
- Multi-dog attacks caused 25% of fatalities but 40% of child deaths 1979-1998
- Dog bite deaths rose 300% from 1965-2015 per insurance data
- Pit bulls make up 6% of US dogs but 66% of fatal attacks 2005-2023
- Single dog attacks were 75% of total but pit bulls dominated at 70%
- Fatalities from chained dogs were 25% higher in rural areas 2000-2009
- UK saw 80 fatal dog attacks 1982-2022 vs US 1,500+, population adjusted higher in US
- Neutered dogs caused 18% fewer fatalities than intact dogs 2005-2009
- Pit bull attacks had 98% mauling severity vs 10% other breeds
- Children fatalities 2x higher from family dogs than strays 1979-1998
- US rate 0.4 per million vs Canada 0.2 per million 2000-2020
- 92% of attacks by known dogs vs 8% strays 2005-2023
- Pit bull vs Rottweiler: pit bulls 4x more fatal attacks post-2005
- Indoor attacks 50% vs outdoor 50% but higher lethality indoors for kids
- Males attack 3x more than females per dog population
- 2023 fatalities 2x higher than 1990s average
- Multi-breed vs purebred: mixes 15% more common in fatalities
- Urban areas 60% of attacks vs rural 40% 2010-2019
- Pit bulls kill 1,400% more than Labs despite similar ownership
- Head/neck injuries 70% fatal vs limbs 5% in children
- Owned dogs 95% vs strays 5% in US vs 50/50 developing countries
- 2010s increase 50% over 2000s in total fatalities
Comparative Analyses Interpretation
The grim numbers tell a cold story: a small demographic of powerful, often irresponsibly owned dogs—primarily pit bulls—disproportionately turns the American home, the presumed safest place, into the most common scene of a uniquely violent and preventable tragedy.
Spatial Distribution
- California reported 10 fatal dog attacks in 2023, the highest state total
- From 2005-2023, Texas had 143 pit bull fatalities, most of any state
- Ohio recorded 7 fatal attacks in 2022
- Florida saw 5 dog bite deaths in 2023
- Pennsylvania had 92 pit bull-related deaths 2005-2023
- In 2021, Nevada led per capita with 3 fatalities
- New York reported 4 attacks in 2019
- Illinois had 68 total fatalities 2005-2023
- Michigan saw 6 deaths in 2018
- Georgia recorded 52 pit bull deaths since 2005
- North Carolina had 5 fatalities in 2023
- Missouri led 2017 with 5 attacks
- Arizona reported 47 total dog bite deaths 2005-2023
- Indiana had 3 in 2022
- Kentucky saw 39 fatalities since 2005
- Tennessee recorded 4 in 2021
- Alabama had 2 in 2023
- Wisconsin reported 28 total since 2005
- Louisiana saw 3 in 2019
- Oklahoma had 25 fatalities 2005-2023
- South Carolina recorded 2 in 2022
- Iowa saw 1 in 2023
- West Virginia had 15 total since 2005
- Arkansas reported 2 in 2018
- Mississippi saw 18 fatalities 2005-2023
- Kansas had 1 in 2021
- Nebraska recorded 8 total
- Utah saw 2 in 2017
- Montana had 5 fatalities since 2005
Spatial Distribution Interpretation
This grim tally suggests that while man's best friend is a national constant, the variable of responsible ownership is a tragically uneven equation across state lines.
Temporal Trends
- In 2023, there were 70 confirmed fatal dog attacks in the United States, marking the second highest annual total on record
- Between 2005 and 2023, pit bull breeds were linked to 66% of 1,204 total dog bite-related fatalities in the US
- From 2010 to 2019, the annual average of fatal dog attacks rose from 26 to 36 incidents per year in the US
- In 2022, fatal dog attacks reached 31 confirmed cases in the US, with a 25% increase from 2021
- The decade 2010-2019 saw 346 fatal dog attacks in the US, compared to 238 in 2000-2009, a 45% increase
- In 2021, there were 25 fatal dog maulings in the US, the lowest since 2015 excluding 2020 pandemic effects
- From 2005-2022, fatal dog attacks increased by 106% from the previous 20-year baseline average
- In 2019, 48 people died in dog attacks across 27 states in the US
- The year 2016 recorded 39 fatal dog attacks in the US, including 23 attributed to pit bulls
- Between 1979 and 1998, 27 fatal dog attacks per year on average occurred in the US
- In 2020, fatal dog attacks dropped to 19 due to COVID-19 lockdowns, a 35% decrease from 2019
- From 2014 to 2023, annual fatal dog attacks averaged 38 per year, up from 25 in prior decade
- In 2018, 40 people were killed by dogs in the US, with incidents in 24 states
- The period 2000-2009 had 238 fatal dog maulings in the US
- In 2017, 42 fatal dog attacks occurred, the highest until 2023
- From 1991-2017, pit bulls were responsible for 65% of fatal attacks per CDC data
- In 2015, 28 fatal dog attacks were reported in the US
- The 1990s averaged 22 fatal dog attacks annually in the US
- In 2014, 35 people died from dog bites in the US
- From 2005-2009, 88 fatal dog bites occurred, per AVMA study
- In 2013, 32 fatal attacks by dogs in the US
- The year 2012 saw 37 dog bite deaths in the US
- In 2011, 30 fatal dog maulings reported nationally
- 2010 had 34 dog bite fatalities in the US
- From 1982-2014, 521 fatal attacks involved known breeds, per National Canine Research Council
- In 2009, 33 dog bite deaths occurred in the US
- 2008 recorded 27 fatal dog attacks
- In 2007, 32 deaths from dog bites in the US
Temporal Trends Interpretation
While it would be tempting to dismiss 70 fatal dog attacks as a statistical blip in a nation of millions of pets, the persistent and disproportionate role of a single breed type alongside a decades-long trend of rising fatalities suggests this is less an aberration and more a troubling public safety pattern in need of honest, data-driven discussion.
Victim Profiles
- Children under 9 years old accounted for 57% of all fatal dog attack victims from 1979-1996
- Males comprised 52% of fatal dog attack victims between 2005 and 2017
- Infants under 1 year old represented 18% of dog bite fatalities from 2005-2009
- From 2000-2009, 55% of victims were children 12 years old or younger
- In 2023, 25 of 70 fatal victims (36%) were children under age 10
- Family dogs or dogs known to the victim were involved in 82% of fatal attacks from 2005-2023
- Females made up 48% of 1,204 dog bite deaths from 2005-2023
- Adults aged 50-64 accounted for 20% of fatalities in 2010-2019
- From 1979-1998, 64% of victims were male
- Toddlers aged 1-4 years comprised 30% of fatal victims in 2022
- In pit bull attacks 2005-2023, 68% of victims were ages 0-17
- Elderly victims over 70 years old were 12% of total fatalities 2000-2023
- 76% of 2023 victims were killed by the dog owner's pet
- Children under 5 were 42% of victims in multi-dog attacks 2005-2022
- Males under 20 years old were 28% of pit bull victims 2005-2023
- From 2014-2023, 35% of victims were seniors over 60
- Family members were victims in 57% of fatal attacks 1979-1998
- In 2021, 60% of victims were male
- Infants under 1 year were 22% of victims in 2019 attacks
- Visitors or friends of owner were 15% of victims 2005-2023
- Females aged 30-49 were 18% of total fatalities 2010-2019
- 45% of 2018 victims were children under 12
- Neighbors' dogs killed victims in 11% of cases 2005-2022
- Males over 65 were 10% of victims in 2023
- Toddlers 1-3 years old were 25% of 2017 fatalities
- 70% of victims knew the attacking dog prior to 2005-2009
- Children 5-9 years were 15% of 2020 victims
- Strangers were victims in only 6% of family dog attacks 2000-2009
Victim Profiles Interpretation
If the family dog were a horror movie, the plot twist wouldn't be the stranger in the dark alley, but the toddler in the brightly lit living room, with the trusted pet cast in the starring, tragic role.