The dog days of summer are soon upon us. Kids look forward to it all year. Later sundowns make for longer vacation days. More time to roam the neighborhood, visit friends’ homes, and play at the park. What’s there to worry about?
“Dogs,” some would say. There are 76.7 million children in the USA this year, and 83.3 million dogs. (Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, accessed 5/25/2013; American Pet Products Association, New Survey Reveals Pet Ownership At An All-Time High, February 21, 2013) In other words, there is one dog for every child in this country.
That can mean trouble. Children are the primary victims of dog attacks (Centers for Disease Control, Dog Bite Prevention, accessed 5/25/2013). In the past decade and a half, hospitalizations because of dog bites have increased 88% (US Dept. of Health and Human Services, Hospital Admissions for Dog Bites Increase 86 Percent Over a 16-Year Period, December 1, 2010), and the number of people killed by dogs has more than doubled (Kenneth M. Phillips, Canine Homicides: July 2006 to the Present, accessed 5/25/2013).
A dog in its own yard, and no master present. In 2012, at least 5 of the 37 fatal dog attacks happened in this manner. (Kenneth M. Phillips, Canine Homicides: July 2006 to the Present, accessed 5/25/2013).
The pack mentality. Three dogs are worse than 2, 4 are worse than 3, etc. Docile dogs often become uncharacteristically violent and vicious when they are in a pack. In 2013, 15 of the 37 canine homicides were caused by two or more dogs. (Kenneth M. Phillips, Canine Homicides: July 2006 to the Present, accessed 5/25/2013).