Canine Homicide

The notion that the dog bites occur too often and are too brutal is impossible to ignore. In 1999, attorney Kenneth Phillips declared the existence of a dog bite epidemic in our country. Many cannot agree which breeds of dogs are primarily to blame for this violence, and some animal lovers deny the theory of a "dangerous dog" altogether. Upon further examination, it appears that the real predicament lies in dealing with dogs prone to attacking people and their owners. This will probably never be settled until the general public can agree on the validity of information that has been published about dog attacks.

The latest nationwide compilation of dog bites is more than a decade old. Back then, it was concluded that there were an average of 4.7 million dog bites in the US annually. Since then, the incidents of bites look to be greater than the number of domesticated dogs. Recent statistics show that over 30 dog attacks end fatally every year. These events are defined as canine homicide, or the death of a human inflicted by a dog. Even though human death resulting from dog bites is a rarity, each instance of it is significant because they are studied meticulously. Details gathered from these reports allow experts to formulate opinions on a wide array of issues concerning dog bites. Surprisingly, there were only about 17 deaths annually from dog bites during the â€˜80s and â€˜90s, but 2006 and 2007 featured in excess of 30 each year.

Almost all dog attacks come without warning. The following are genuine descriptions showcasing the unpredictability associated with canine homicide:

San Francisco, CA (June 3, 2005) - Nicholas Faibish, 12, was alone in an apartment with his family's two pit bulls when they suddenly mauled him to death. Like many of these cases, neighbors who knew the dogs said they were friendly and affectionate but did not appear to have undergone sufficient social training. Naturally, small children were sometimes scared of them. "The dogs were sweethearts. I never thought they were vicious. They were really nice. I would pet them, and my wife would kiss them on the forehead," stated one neighbor.

Sifton, WA (April 24, 2004) - Returning from a visit to the neighbor's, Johnnie Streeter, 8, was killed in the neighbor's backyard by two dogs, both of which were half bull mastiff and half German shepherd. The dogs' owners said they had never even bitten someone prior to this.

Charlotte, NC (April 16, 2004) - Roddie Philip Dumas, a third-grader, was playing in an enclosed backyard at his father's house when four pit bulls pounced and killed him. Roddie's father and his girlfriend were inside and could not hear the boy's cry for help. A neighbor and mailman who did hear him scream were too late.

Fort Bend County, TX (March 11, 2004) - Madison Kayleen Carson, 2, was playing with her older sister outside their home when a group of dogs seen throughout the neighborhood charged at her in what proved to be a fatal swarm. Neighbors believed the dogs were all local family pets. Notably, there were no leash laws in the area of the fatality.