Why Do Pitbulls Have a Reputation for Biting?
Pitbull dogs have a reputation for biting because they are larger dogs that can do significant damage or cause fatalities if and when they do bite. Therefore, the victims are more likely to need medical attention and report the attack.
Pitbull attacks can happen for a number of reasons, but most often, it’s due to poor or improper training by the dog’s owner. Some owners may even train their animals to be aggressive, which is a recipe for horror.
When a dog owner fails to train or socialize any dog properly, that animal may bite without provocation. In these cases, some say that the owners may be criminally negligent of setting up a tragedy.
Pitbull Attack Statistics
During the 15-year period from 2005 to 2020, dogs killed 568 Americans. Of these fatalities, Pitbulls contributed to 67% or 380 of them.
From 2011 to 2021, Level I trauma centers across several regions of the country completed 15 peer-reviewed retrospective medical studies. These studies reported similar findings regardless of geographical area.
The results showed that Pitbulls inflicted more injuries than other dog breeds. The majority of these studies (12 of the 15) also demonstrated that injuries inflicted by Pitbulls are the most severe and require a higher number of surgical interventions – which can be up to five times higher than injuries by other dog breeds.
Treating a Dog Bite Wound
According to The Cleveland Clinic, below are the seven steps you should immediately take if you are bitten by any dog. It is also recommended that you seek professional medical care within eight hours of a bite, even if the wound doesn’t seem serious.
Apart from complications involving infections, which can lead to sepsis and death, other possibly fatal issues can be associated with dog bites. Medical News Today lists several additional dog-bite complications, including Tetanus or lockjaw, which are possible with any puncture wounds.
In addition, rabies can be a significant concern, especially if the attack was from a stray dog or one who is not cared for properly. Though the disease has diminished in many areas of the world where there are more domestic animal populations, it is by no means eradicated. Rabies should always be a concern when any animal bite occurs, including from squirrels or raccoons. A course of immunizations may be necessary, as the disease can be fatal if not treated early enough.
Each of these complications can be mitigated by seeing a doctor immediately following a biting incident.
What Caused 2 Pit Bulls to Kill Their Owner?
A man in Illinois has died after he tried to stop his own pit bull and another from fighting at his home, according to police.
Juan Ruiz, 66, from Kewanee, died after he was attacked at his home in the 800 block of North Vine Street at about 6 p.m. on April 24, according to Kewanee chief of police Nicholas Welgat.
Kewanee Police Department (KPD) officers said they were dispatched to the home at about 12:34 a.m. on April 25 and found a man unresponsive and bleeding from multiple wounds.
According to DogsBite.org, a group that aims to reduce the number of serious dog attacks, 35 breeds were involved in 433 human deaths as a result of a fatal bite in a 13-year period in the U.S. The 2018 report found that pit bulls were involved in nearly 66 percent of attacks.
Welgat added in a Friday, April 29 Facebook post: “The victim contacted family members and advised them of the situation by telephone. Family members instructed him to call for an ambulance or to go to the hospital for treatment if the wounds were severe, as they were out of town.
“The victim stated to family that he had bandaged the wounds and he was okay. When family members returned to the home after midnight, they found the victim unresponsive and called 911.”
Officers impounded both dogs at the Kewanee Animal Control Facility and said that the pet that caused the fatal wound was later surrendered to city officials.
Welgat added in the Facebook post: “The dog was then euthanized as it was deemed too vicious and a danger to the community. The second dog is being treated for multiple injuries caused by the aggressive dog.
“This dog will also be evaluated for a period of time by the Animal Control Facility staff to ensure that it does not pose a threat to the public before it is released to the owners.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are several things you can do if you are approached by an unfamiliar dog, which include: