Top Cities Where Dog Bites Occur and How to Prevent Continually Rising Statistics

Unfortunately, if you live in Los Angeles, Houston or Chicago, you are more likely to be bitten by a dog than in any other city in the country, according to the Postal Service's 30 Top Dog Attack Rankings by City. Locally, Milwaukee, Evansville, and Des Moines all tied for the lower 29th spot (which is better than the first), though it would have been better not to have made the list at all. View the full list here.

As a firm who has extensive experience dealing with dog bite claims, Hupy and Abraham knows that preventable solutions exist to protect both people and dogs alike. Unfortunately, statistics measuring dog bite injuries in the United States have been rising annually.

Children under the age of 4 are the most frequent victims of serious bites that require medical attention. Sadly, because they are more likely to approach a usually friendly dog, children are more likely to be hurt by a familiar dog than one they’ve never met. Dogs, like humans, all react differently to noise, pain and surprises. So, it is important to teach children AND adults to be cautious around pets and always ask permission to touch or approach any dog.

It’s also important to note that approximately 92 percent of fatal dog attacks involve male dogs. Of that 92 percent, 94 percent are not neutered. And, chained dogs are involved in 25 percent of fatal dog attacks. Therefore, the first step to prevent dangerous dog bite attacks is to be a responsible dog owner. 

For the sake of your mail carrier and other delivery persons, always remember to put your dog in a separate room and close that door before opening the front door, if or when you expect a package to arrive. It is also crucial to properly train your dog and always follow local leash and licensing laws, in order to prevent dog bites. Teaching dogs basic commands like “sit,” “stay,” “no” and “come” and regularly socializing and interacting with them go a long way in helping to avoid preventable behavioral issues.  

We all want to live in a city with ZERO preventable dog bite cases. So, please keep this information in mind when you or your children interact with a dog, familiar or otherwise, and when you expect guests, neighbors or delivery persons.