Fatal Dog Attacks

Dog Bite-Related Fatalities

According to CDC data, an average of 43 fatal dog attacks occur each year in the United States. These incidents disproportionately affect adults (~75%), followed by children (~20%) and infants (~5%). Since 2016, over 80 different breeds and mixed breeds have been involved in fatal attacks — including Akitas, Boxers, Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, Great Danes, Huskies, Labrador Retrievers, Mastiffs, Rottweilers, and pitbull–type breeds, among others.

Studies consistently show that the leading causes of fatal dog attacks are linked to preventable factors such as irresponsible ownership, neglect or abuse, failure to neuter, and lack of supervision of large or strong dogs around infants and children.

Contrary to unreliable claims about breed-specific risk, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and numerous peer-reviewed studies have found that a dog's breed does not determine aggression, bite force, or likelihood to bite. While every fatal dog attack is tragic, the majority of dog bite–related fatalities (DBRFs) result from human-controlled circumstances — not breed.

83+ Breeds

More than 80 breeds have been reported in fatal attacks in the U.S. since 2016 — confirming that serious dog bite incidents are not a breed-specific issue.

0.00001% Risk

The risk of being fatally attacked by a dog (of any breed) is ~0.00001%. On average each year in the U.S., insects cause more fatalities (~110) than dogs (~43).

60% Mixed Breeds

Mixed-breed dogs are involved in nearly 60% of fatal attacks — a key reason why breed-specific legislation (BSL) is ineffective.

Fatal Dog Attacks by Breed

ⓘ This chart revises commonly cited fatal dog attack data by applying scientific evidence on breed misidentification and genetic ancestry. Only dogs statistically estimated to have a predominant (≥50%) pitbull-type DNA composition are classified as such. Cases considered misclassified are reallocated to the mixed-breed category. Remaining pitbull-type cases are distributed evenly due to limitations in data specificity. As the most popular dog type in the U.S., pitbulls are underrepresented in fatality statistics, accounting for ~12.7% of fatalities despite comprising ~20% of the dog population.

Dog Bite Fatality Data

Over 80 different breeds and mixed breeds have been involved in dog bite–related fatalities (DBRFs) in the U.S. since 2016 — emphasizing the importance of responsible ownership and breed-neutral regulations that apply to all dogs, regardless of appearance or assumed breed.

DBRF Data ConFIRMS

• Serious dog bite–related incidents are not breed-specific, as many different breeds have been involved in injuries and fatalities.
• Breed-specific legislation (BSL) is ineffective and obsolete, given that numerous breeds and mixed breeds have been reported in serious dog bite–related incidents.
• Breed-neutral regulations are more effective because they address all potentially dangerous dogs, all irresponsible owners, and all unsafe situations — regardless of a dog's appearance or breed.
• Large or strong dogs of any breed should always be supervised around infants and children.

Breeds Reported in Fatal Attacks Provided Below

83+ Breeds Reported in Fatal Attacks Since 2016

​(In alphabetical order, sources with breed information provided in the Dog Bite Fatality Incident List below.)

Dog Bite Fatality Incident List

An archive of dog bite-related fatalities (DBRFs) by year since 2016, including source links with breed information.

Note: The DBRF incident list is not exhaustive and is intended to illustrate the wide range of breeds reported in fatal dog attacks. The number of incidents associated with each breed is more reflective of that breed's population than of any inherent risk. In most cases, breed identification comes from media reports based on visual assessment, as confirmation through reliable methods like DNA testing is rarely available. Because studies have shown visual identification to be unreliable and prone to high error rates, this data should be interpreted in that context and is intended to highlight the diversity of breeds reported in fatal attacks.

Footnotes

¹ Pitbull-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).

²​​ Conservatively estimating at least 8 different mixed breeds involved in the 24 incidents reported as mixed or unknown breeds in the incident list.

³ Incidents involving dogs in the pitbull–type category are not included, as these have already been extensively covered by the media and pro-BSL special interest groups. Additionally, DNA studies have shown that most dogs labeled as "pitbulls" are mixed breeds, and approximately 60% of dogs visually identified as "pitbulls" (by shelters, owners, or the media) are misidentified and lack DNA from pitbull–type ancestry. As a result, media reports — and flawed statistics based on them — cannot be considered reliable or scientifically valid sources for breed information in dog bite incidents.

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Updated: October 15, 2025