Understanding Dog Bites: The Important Role of Human Behavior

• Published in: Journal of applied animal welfare science Vol. 24; no. 4; pp. 331 - 346
• Main Authors: Reese, Laura A., Vertalka, Joshua J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 02-10-2021; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Animal bites; dog bite prevention; Dog bites; Dogs; Human error; Neighborhoods; Police; Urban areas; Urban environments; urban public health; dog bite prevention; Dog bites; urban public health
• ISSN: 1088-8705; 1532-7604
• DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2020.1790371

This research contributes to extant knowledge about dog bites by using police department bite incident data to explore three sets of potential correlates of bites: traits of the victim, traits of the dog including the circumstances surrounding the bite, and traits of the neighborhood in which the bite occurred. It employs data on 478 bites, over a period of 8 years, in an urban setting that includes significant numbers of roaming dogs (both feral and owned), and incorporates a number of variables not included in past research. While environmental variables such as structural abandonment contribute to dog bite risk human error is most commonly at fault.