List of people killed by dogs in the United States

This list supplements information compiled by existing studies regarding the people killed by dogs in the United States. The following table summarizes the number of people reported killed from 2005-2009.

Existing studies
There are a limited number of studies concerning the number of human deaths caused by dogs in the United States, and the number of attributed fatalities is difficult to validate or cross-compare with other study results because:
 * studies dependent on surveying news reports may not find all the relevant news items
 * different studies use different data collection methodologies and evaluation criteria
 * breed identification requires a subjective evaluation based on observation of outward physical attributes against imprecise breed standards.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published in 2000 a study on dog bite-related fatalities (DBRF) that covered the years 1979-1998. The study found reports of 327 people killed by dogs over the 20-year period. Using newspaper articles, the CDC was able to obtain breed "identifications" for 238 of the 327 cases of fatal dog attacks; of which "pit bull terrier" or mixes thereof were reportedly involved in 76 cases. The breed with the next-highest number of attributed fatalities was the Rottweiler and mixes thereof, with 44 fatalities.

Clifton report (2009)
Mr. Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People News, has compiled from press reports a log of dog attack deaths and severe bites in the United States and Canada from September 1982 through December 22, 2009. The study methodology counted attacks "by dogs of clearly identified breed type or ancestry, as designated by animal control officers or others with evident expertise, [that] have been kept as pets." Mr. Clifton acknowledges that the log "is by no means a complete list of fatal or otherwise serious dog attacks" since it excludes "dogs whose breed type may be uncertain, ...attacks by police dogs, guard dogs, and dogs trained specifically to fight..."

The study found reports of 345 people killed by dogs over the 27-year period, of which "pit bull terrier", or mixes thereof, were reportedly responsible for killing 159, or about 46 percent, of the people killed by dogs in the attacks identified in the study. The breed with the next-highest number of attributed fatalities was the Rottweiler and mixes thereof, with 70 fatalities or about 20 percent of the study-identified fatalities; in aggregate, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and mixes thereof were involved in about 66% of the study-identified fatalities. In that same study, the number of serious maimings by a "pit bull terrier" was 778; the number of serious maimings by a Rottweiller was 244. The number of attributed fatalities to the German Shepherd dog was 9. The number of serious maimings by a German Shepherd was 50.

Mr. Clifton concluded that "'Temperament is not the issue, nor is it even relevant. What is relevant is actuarial risk. If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed, and the actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a pit bull terrier has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed—and that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dogs as well as their victims are paying the price.'"

Fatalities reported in 2005
News organizations reported 28 fatal dog attacks in the United States in 2005. The dog breed most commonly reportedly involved in these attacks were pit bulls (16 attacks), followed by Rottweilers (5 attacks):

Fatalities reported in 2006
News organizations reported 29 fatal dog attacks in the United States in 2006. The dog breed most commonly reportedly involved in these attacks were pit bulls (15 attacks), followed by Rottweilers (8 attacks).

Fatalities reported in 2007
News organizations reported 34 fatal dog attacks in the United States in 2007. The dog breed most commonly reportedly involved in these attacks were pit bulls (18 attacks), followed by Rottweilers (4 attacks).

Fatalities reported in 2008
News organizations reported 23 fatal dog attacks in the United States in 2008. The dog breed most commonly reportedly involved in these attacks were pit bull-type dogs (15 attacks), followed by Huskies (3 attacks).

Fatalities reported in 2009
News organizations reported 30 fatal dog attacks in the United States in 2009. The dog breed most commonly reportedly involved in these attacks were pit bull-type dogs (14 attacks), followed by Rottweilers (4 attacks).