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Illinois

Are Dogs A Real Danger?

A National Canine Research Council Perspective Report

Over the past 43 years (1965 - present) there have been 23 fatal dog attacks or approximately one (1) fatal attack every two (2) years.

At least 14 different breeds/types of dogs have been identified in fatal attacks in Illinois.

The victims were: 5 adults, 2 teenagers, 16 children.

Half the children (n=8) killed by dogs in Illinois were infants left unattended with unfamiliar dogs. All but two of these cases involved an infant at a relative's home (grandparent, uncle/aunt) or at an acquaintance's home and the infant left unsupervised with the resident dog:

In 1990, a 6-month-old girl was left on the couch of a home her mother was visiting. A young male resident of the home owned a very aggressive intact male dog kept on the porch. The dog entered into the house and attacked the unsupervised infant.

An elderly woman also was the victim of a relative's dogs:

In 1994, a 75-year-old woman with Alzheimer's disease was attacked and killed after she wandered into the backyard where her daughter and son-in-law kept two large guard dogs. (Chicago)

In spite of the negligent, reckless and dangerous ownership practices of some dog owners, dog still pose an incredibly low risk for causing a fatality:

Fatal Dog Attacks in Illinois as Compared to Other Selected Risks:

Snapshot of Illinois:                                    Year  2005

Persons killed by dogs:         1
Death from contact w/bees, hornets or wasps:         2
Bicycle-related fatalities:       25
ATV-related fatalities:       28
Persons drowned in tub or swimming pool:       41
Alcohol-related traffic fatalities:      595
Total traffic fatalities (alcohol & non):   1,363
Tobacco-related deaths: 16,900

Furthermore, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

In 2005, sixty-eight (68) Illinois children died as a result of maltreatment (abuse or neglect).

In a SINGLE YEAR, 2005, more than FOUR TIMES as many Illinois children died from maltreatment (abuse or neglect) than the TOTAL of ALL children killed by dogs in Illinois over the past 43 years.

So, are dogs a danger?  Fact is,  people in Illinois routinely accept far greater risks from bicycles, ATVs and swimming pools than any that are associated with companion animals.

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