Unreliable vs. Reliable Sources for Dog Attack Data

An important note that is not distinguished in most data: “the term “pit bull” does not denote a specific breed and there is no agreed-upon definition of “pit bull-type dogs” – not in science, the law, kennel clubs, or animal shelters”(2). Rather, the term “pit bull” is a catch-all term that places mixed breed dogs with similar physical characteristics under the umbrella term of “pit bull”(1). American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, American bullies, and American bulldogs are commonly placed under the umbrella term of “pit bull"(3). When analyzing dog aggression and bite statistics, commonly there is only one category for pit bull, and there is no separation of the five common breeds that fall under this umbrella term. DogsBite.org is a popular website for those gathering data to support pit bull bans. A common chart representing dog bite data is shown below:

When examining the data presented in this chart, it’s important to ask a few questions regarding the reliability of the information:

1. Who is the author of this data?

2. What are their sources for this information?

3. Why have they only included one category for “pit bull” and not given separate numbers for the different types of dogs in this category?

Sites like these are commonly one's that anyone can edit and modify the information presented. Additionally, when examining what the sources are for this particular data, DogsBite.org is open that they retrieve their data from media and news reports. Not scholarly articles or science-backed data, but instead from media reports that are often reported multiple times for the same incident (4). Significantly more media attention is given to attacks involving dogs identified as having the physical characteristics of a pit bull, so relying on media reports as a means to chart dog aggression is increasingly unreliable (1). Additionally, visual identification for dog breeds is not an accurate way to report the breed of a dog. Unreliable data for dog attacks is just one factor that has contributed to the negative stigma of pit bull-type dogs. In It is important to examine where we are getting our data from to ensure that we are not unknowingly spreading false information.

Sources

1. https://content.naic.org/cipr-topics/breed-specific-legislation#:~:text=Issue%3A%20Breed%2Dspecific%20legislation%20(,about%20dog %20breeds%20and%20aggression.
2. https://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/visual-breed-identification/
3. https://law.lclark.edu/live/files/32171-25-1-third-articlepdf
4. https://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-fatality-citations.php