Ohio
Are Dogs A Real Danger?
A National Canine Research Council Perspective Report
Over the past 43 years (1965 - present) there have been 18 fatal dog attacks in Ohio, or an average of one (1) fatality every 2 to 3 years.
At least eleven (11) different breeds/types of dogs have been identified as participating in a fatal attack in Ohio.
The victims were: 6 adults and 12 children.
Nearly half (5 out of 12) of the children killed by dogs in Ohio were attacked when they attempted to interact with chained or penned dogs. Four (4) other children killed by dogs were infants (< 2 months old) which were left unsupervised with unfamiliar dogs.
All the dogs involved in fatal attacks in Ohio were intact (not spayed or neutered).
At least four (4) Ohio dog owners were criminally charged after their dog(s) was actively encouraged to attack someone or was involved in a fatality:
J. Mann was convicted of murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison when he was found guilty of restraining his girlfriend and repeatedly ordering his dog to attack her, (1992).
M. Crawley was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 6 months in jail after he repeatedly allowed his dogs to roam loose, mauling one woman, and then killing another woman in a separate incident, (2003).
Two other Ohio dog owners were charged with involuntary manslaughter but were not convicted even though their negligence in maintaining and controlling their dogs appeared to directly contribute to the death of the victim.
In spite of the reckless and dangerous ownership practices of some dog owners, dogs still pose an incredibly low risk for causing a fatality:
Fatal Dog Attacks in Ohio as Compared to Other Selected Risks:
Snapshot of Ohio: Year 2005
| Fatal dog attacks: | 0 |
| Persons killed by lightning : | 1 |
| Child hyperthermia death (left in hot car): | 2 |
| Death from contact w / hornets, bees or wasps: | 4 |
| ATV-related fatalities: | 15 |
| Bicycle-related fatalities: | 16 |
| Persons drowned in bathtub or swimming pool: | 29 |
| Alcohol-related traffic fatalities: | 519 |
| Total traffic fatalities (alcohol & non): | 1,321 |
| Tobacco-related deaths: | 18,600 |
Furthermore, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
In 2005, 83 children died from maltreatment in Ohio.
In a SINGLE YEAR (2005), more than SIX TIMES as many Ohio children died from maltreatment (abuse/neglect) than the TOTAL of ALL children killed by dogs in Ohio over the past 43 years.
So, are dogs a real danger? In fact, people in Ohio routinely accept far greater risks from ATVs, bicycles, and swimming pools than any that are associated with companion animals.
nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com