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A community approach to dog bite prevention

ABSTRACT

Bonnie Beaver

J Am Vet Med Assoc 2001;218:1732-1749.

A community approach to dog bite prevention

American Veterinary Medical Association

Task Force on Canine Aggression and Human-Canine Interactions

This paper is a comprehensive review with data on dog bites and useful coverage of the characteristics of dogs involved in incidents. The information will help decision-makers find effective ways to address their community's concerns about dog attacks and bites. Extensive references are given.

While the number of injuries will never be reduced to zero, the AVMA Task Force urges that a well-planned, proactive community approach will make a substantial impact. A community program to address the problem is outlined. This must be multidisciplinary and based on commitment level, pre-existing programs and resources. Although best results are obtained by adopting the entire prevention program, it is designed for use in whole or in part. The program has heavy emphasis on education and awareness, in all its forms. 

The AVMA believes that breed bans are inappropriate and ineffective. Statistics on fatalities and injuries caused by dogs cannot be used to document the ‘dangerousness' of a particular breed, relative to other breeds. First, a dog's tendency to bite depends on at least 5 interacting factors: heredity, early experience, later socialisation and training, health and victim behaviour. Second, there is no reliable way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed in the canine population at any given time.