Dog & Animal Attack Facts

An animal attack claim exists if you or a loved one have been attacked and injured by an animal. When an animal attacks someone else, the owner may be found liable if he/she/they had knowledge of the animal’s viciousness but failed to act to prevent injuries to others. Additionally, if the animal displays uncontrollable behavior, the owner should take steps to protect others from harm.

Animal attacks most commonly involve dogs. However, other animals like cats, ferrets, and birds can bite or scratch humans. It has been found that the most common animal-related fatalities are from large mammals, such as cows, pigs, horses, and dogs. The CDC recommends that children under the age of 10 years old should always be supervised when they are around large mammals and dogs. It is advised that adults never leave small children unsupervised and they should carefully monitor animal-child interactions at all times. Suffering from an animal attack is traumatic and can lead to serious injuries or threats of infections.  

Data related to dog & animal attacks:

• Animal attacks are considered a major public health problem. 
• 4.5 million dog bites occur each year. 
• Between 1999 and 2014, 486 people died from dog attacks, and 1,163 people died from attacks by other mammals. 
• Dogs caused 66% of animal-related deaths to infants and young children under four years old.