DogsBite.org says Texas leads the nation in fatal dog attacks

On Behalf of | Mar 27, 2013 | Dog Bites & Animal Attacks |

DogsBite.org, which describes itself as one of the only websites that advocates for the safety of people first, dogs second, has a rather detailed report about the rate of fatal dog attacks in Texas. According to the report, Texas leads the nation in the number of deaths associated with dog bites from Jan. 2005 to Feb. 2013. During that time period, 34 Texans lost their lives because dogs attacked them.

And Bexar County, where we’re located, came in second among all Texas counties for the number of attacks, behind Harris County.

According to DogsBite.org, there are two “impediments” to improving the situation we Texans find ourselves in when it comes to dangerous dogs:

  1. The one-bite rule
  2. State law prohibiting breed-specific regulation

The one-bite rule essentially means that a dog owner gets “one free bite,” putting the owner on notice that his or her dog can be dangerous, and will face liability if it happens again. Of course, for many Texans attacked by dogs, the damage is done, and

And state law against breed-specific regulation basically means that local governments cannot pass any regulations against certain types of dogs, like pit bulls, which DogsBite.org says account for most of the fatal attacks.

Source: Report: Texas Dog Bite Fatalities, January 1, 2005 to February 17, 2013