Recent dog bite incident data confirms that dog bite-related fatalities (DBRFs) and serious dog bite-related incidents are not breed-specific issues. Furthermore, the data also shows that breed-specific legislation (BSL) is ineffective and obsolete, given the variety of breeds involved in fatal attacks. Since only 2016, at least 78 different breeds and mixed breeds have been involved in fatal dog attacks in the U.S., including Akitas, Boxers, Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, Great Danes, Huskies, Labrador Retrievers, Mastiffs, pitbull-type dogs, Rottweilers, and many others. Moreover, the number of incidents associated with each breed is more closely related to its population size than any inherent risk specific to a breed or dog type. While every serious dog bite-related incident is tragic, the diversity of breeds implicated in fatal dog attacks confirms that these incidents are not breed-specific issues while also validating the importance of implementing comprehensive, breed-neutral regulations for public safety. Additionally, the data supports findings from multiple studies that a dog's breed does not determine aggression, bite strength, or its propensity to bite and that BSL is ineffective, given the many breeds and mixes have been implicated in serious dog bite-related incidents.
(In alphabetical order, sources with breed information provided in the Incident List below.)
Breeds: 1-22 | Breeds: 23-44 | Breeds: 45-78+ |
---|---|---|
Akita | Doberman Pinscher mix | Leopard Cur mix |
Alaskan Husky mix | Dogo Argentino | Malamute-Wolf Hybrid mix |
American Bulldog | Dutch Shepherd | Mastiff |
American Bulldog mix | English Bulldog | Mastiff mix |
American Bulldog-Great Pyrenees mix | English Mastiff | Mastiff-Great Dane mix |
Australian Cattle Dog mix | French Bulldog mix | Mastiff-Labrador Retriever mix |
Belgian Malinois | German Shepherd | Mastiff-Presa Canario mix |
Belgian Malinois-Bulldog mix | German Shepherd mix | Neapolitan Mastiff |
Black Mouth Cur mix | German Shepherd-Golden Retriever mix | Olde English Bulldogge |
Border Collie mix | Giant Schnauzer | Pocket Bully |
Boxer | Great Dane | Queensland Heeler |
Boxer mix | Heeler-Mastiff mix | Retriever-Hound mix |
Boxer-Hound mix | Hound mix | Rottweiler |
Brazilian Mastiff | Husky | Rottweiler-Mastiff mix |
Bull Terrier | Husky mix | Saint Bernard |
Bulldog mix | Husky-Australian Cattle Dog mix | Sheltie-Corgi mix |
Cane Corso | Husky-Shepherd mix | Shepherd mix |
Cane Corso mix | Kangal mix | South African Boerboel |
Chow Chow mix | Labrador Retreiver | Wolf Hybrid |
Coonhound | Labrador Retreiver mix | 64-71: Pitbull-Type and mixes¹ |
Dachshund mix | Labrador Retriever-Great Pyrenees mix | 72-78+: Various mixed breeds² |
Doberman Pinscher | Labrador Retriever-Shepherd mix |
(Best viewed in landscape or on desktop)
Victim | Breed(s) | Source |
---|---|---|
Infant | Labrador Retriever-Shepherd mix | Link |
Child | Doberman Pinscher | Link |
Adult | Belgian Malinois-Bulldog mixes | Link |
Adult | Labrador Retriever-Great Pyrenees, Husky-Australian Cattle Dog mixes | Link |
Adult | American Bulldog mixes | Link |
Adult | Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Chow Chow mixes | Link |
Adult | German Shepherds | Link |
Adult | Belgian Malinois | Link |
➜ | Pitbull-type and mixes⁴ (see footnotes) | Note |
Victim | Breed(s) | Source |
---|---|---|
Infant | German Shepherd | Link |
Infant | Husky-Shepherd mix | Link |
Infant | Giant Schnauzer, Labrador Retriever | Link |
Infant | German Shepherd | Link |
Child | English Mastiff | Link |
Child | Rottweiler | Link |
Adult | Mastiff-Great Dane Mix | Link |
Adult | Boxer mix | Link |
Adult | South African Boerboel | Link |
Adult | Mixed breed dog | Link |
Adult | Akita | Link |
Adult | Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, Queensland Heeler, pitbull-type, other mixes | Link |
➜ | Pitbull-type and mixes⁴ (see footnotes) | Note |
Victim | Breed(s) | Source |
---|---|---|
Infant | Malamute-Wolf Hybrid mix | Link |
Infant | Rottweiler, Labrador Retriever | Link |
Infant | German Shepherd | Link |
Infant | Retriever-Hound mix | Link |
Child | Leopard Cur mix | Link |
Child | Mixed breed dog | Link |
Adult | Dachshund-Border Collie, Dachshund-Terrier mixes | Link |
Adult | Dogo Argentino | Link |
Adult | Mixed breed dog | Link |
Adult | Mastiff-Presa Canario mix | Link |
Adult | Brazilian Mastiff | Link |
Adult | Rottweilers | Link |
➜ | Pitbull-type and mixes⁴ (see footnotes) | Note |
Breed(s) | Victim | Source |
---|---|---|
Infant | German Shepherd | Link |
Infant | Rottweiler | Link |
Infant | Husky mix | Link |
Child | Rottweilers | Link |
Child | Dutch Shepherds, Belgian Malinois | Link |
Child | Rottweilers | Link |
Adult | Labrador Retriever mixes | Link |
Adult | Doberman Pinschers | Link |
Adult | Boxer mixes | Link |
Adult | German Shepherds | Link |
Adult | Heeler-Mastiff mixes | Link |
Adult | Boxer | Link |
Adult | Shepherd mix, Labrador Retriever mix, other mixes | Link |
Adult | Mastiffs, Rottweiler, Mastiff-Labrador Retriever mix, pitbull-type mix | Link |
Adult | Coonhounds | Link |
Adult | Great Danes | Link |
Adult | Blue Heeler (Australian Cattle Dog) mixes | Link |
➜ | Pitbull-type and mixes⁴ (see footnotes) | Note |
Victim | Breed(s) | Source |
---|---|---|
Infant | Belgian Malinois | Link |
Infant | German Shepherd mix | Link |
Child | Pack of mixed/unknown breed dogs | Link |
Child | Neapolitan Mastiff | Link |
Child | German Shepherd | Link |
Adult | Pack of mixed/unknown breed dogs | Link |
Adult | Pack of mixed/unknown breed dogs | Link |
Adult | Mastiff | Link |
Adult | Bulldog mixes | Link |
Adult | French Bulldog mix | Link |
Adult | American Bulldog | Link |
Adult | Pack of mixed/unknown breed dogs | Link |
➜ | Pitbull-type and mixes⁴ (see footnotes) | Note |
Victim | Breed(s) | Source |
---|---|---|
Infant | American Bulldog | Link |
Infant | Pocket Bully | Link |
Infant | Rottweilers | Link |
Infant | Saint Bernard | Link |
Child | Mixed breed dog | Link |
Child | Rottweilers | Link |
Child | Pack of mixed/unknown breed dogs | Link |
Child | Mixed breed dogs | Link |
Child | Rottweiler | Link |
Child | Sheltie-Corgi mix | Link |
Child | Shepherd Mixes, Border Collie mixes | Link |
Adult | Hound, Shepherd, Black Mouth Cur mixes | Link |
Adult | Cane Corsos | Link |
Adult | Cane Corsos | Link |
Adult | Pack of mixed/unknown breed dogs | Link |
Adult | Rottweiler | Link |
Adult | Alaskan Husky mix, Cane Corso mix | Link |
Adult | Cane Corsos | Link |
➜ | Pitbull-type and mixes⁴ (see footnotes) | Note |
Victim | Breed(s) | Source |
---|---|---|
Infant | American Bulldog-Great Pyrenees mix | Link |
Infant | Husky | Link |
Child | Rottweiler | Link |
Child | Mixed breed dog | Link |
Adult | German Shepherds | Link |
Adult | Mixed breed dog | Link |
Adult | Pack of mixed breed dogs | Link |
Adult | Dutch Shepherd | Link |
Adult | Pack of mixed breed/unknown dogs | Link |
Adult | Pack of mixed breed dogs | Link |
Adult | Pack of mixed breed dogs | Link |
Adult | Labrador Retriever mixes | Link |
Adult | Rotweilers | Link |
Adult | English Bulldogs | Link |
Adult | Rottweiler-Mastiff mix | Link |
Adult | Great Danes | Link |
Adult | Dogo Argentinos | Link |
Adult | German Shepherd, English Mastiff | Link |
➜ | Pitbull-type and mixes⁴ (see footnotes) | Note |
Victim | Breed(s) | Source |
---|---|---|
Infant | Boxer-Hound mix | Link |
Infant | Wolf Hybrid | Link |
Child | Rottweilers, mixed breeds | Link |
Child | Great Dane-Mastiff mixes | Link |
Adult | Pack of mixed/unknown breed dogs | Link |
Adult | Great Danes | Link |
Adult | Belgian Malinois, Cane Corsos | Link |
Adult | Cane Corso, Bull Terrier | Link |
Adult | Mixed breed dogs | Link |
Adult | Mastiff mix | Link |
Adult | Cane Corsos | Link |
Adult | Rottweiler | Link |
Adult | Kangal mixes | Link |
Adult | Pack of mixed/unknown breed dogs | Link |
➜ | Pitbull-type and mixes⁴ (see footnotes) | Note |
Data, statistics, and scientific studies all confirm that serious dog bite-related incidents are not a breed-specific issue. It is important to understand the differences between the two major forms of canine regulation: breed-specific legislation (BSL) and breed-neutral legislation (BNL). BSL is a limited, single-factor, appearance-based approach, while BNL is a comprehensive, multifactorial, behavior-based approach. For public safety, BSL imposes regulations on a minority of dogs based solely on their appearance or assumed breed, regardless of the dog's behavior and responsible ownership. In contrast, breed-neutral regulations address all potentially dangerous dogs, all irresponsible owners, and all unsafe dog-related situations, regardless of a dog's appearance or breed. Consequently, numerous studies have concluded that BSL is ineffective and is a discriminatory trend in decline. BSL's inefficacy and diminishing support are further evidenced by the vast majority (96%) of cities and towns that use breed-neutral regulations as their primary and only form of regulation due to the many advantages of breed-neutral regulations, summarized on our BSL page. For public safety and to reduce dog bite-related incidents, the data and science validate that the most effective solutions are breed-neutral and address the human end of the leash.
¹Pitbull-type includes 4 unique breeds + 4 pitbull-type mixed breeds (American Pit Bull Terrier mix, American Staffordshire Terrier mix, Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix, and American Bully mix).
²Conservatively estimating at least 7 different mixed breeds implicated in the 21 incidents involving mixed or unknown breeds in the incident list.
³The DBRF incident list is not exhaustive and is intended to show the variation of breeds implicated in fatal dog attacks. Furthermore, the number of incidents associated with each breed is more closely related to each breed's population size than to any inherent risk in a specific breed or dog type.
⁴Incidents involving dogs in the
pitbull-type
category are not included, as these have already been widely covered by the media and by special interest,
pro-BSL
organizations. Furthermore,
studies
on canine DNA have determined that the majority of dogs labeled as 'pitbulls' are mixed-breed dogs, and 60% of dogs visually identified as 'pitbulls' (by shelters, owners, and the media) are misidentified and lack DNA from pitbull-type ancestry. Consequently, media reports (and
unreliable statistics
based on media reports) on dog bite incidents involving dogs identified as 'pitbulls' cannot be considered reliable or scientifically valid sources for breed information.
PitbullHero is a nonprofit research group dedicated to promoting effective and equitable breed-neutral policies for public safety and providing dog bite-related information based on scientific studies and other reliable sources. Our mission is to end discrimination against dogs labeled as 'pitbulls' and to promote the responsible ownership of all dogs, regardless of appearance or breed, which ultimately benefits all people, all dogs, and all communities.
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