In the 15-year period of 2005 through 2019, canines killed 521 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 66% (346) of these deaths. Combined, pit bulls and rottweilers contributed to 76% of the total recorded deaths. | More »
Chris Culbertson, 46, died after being attacked by a vicious dog pack while riding his bicycle.
Habitual Offender UPDATE 10/15/24: The Kansas City Star reports that police had received over 15 complaints about the pack of pit bulls living in the 3200 block East 80th Street prior to the dogs attacking Chris Culbertson, but no action had been taken by the city's animal control service, KC Pet Project. On November 2, Culbertson was on his bike when he was savagely attacked by seven pit bulls for 23 minutes. A female neighbor ran to help him, hitting the dogs with a golf club, but the dogs then started biting her.
After viewing the surveillance video of the attack, Culbertson's sister, Angela, said there were two pit bulls in the backyard that did not escape the fence to attack her brother. Those two dogs are still at the dog owner's home. She described the security footage of the attack as "sickening." Culbertson received over 500 stitches for his injuries. Had he not died on November 6, he would have had one hand, and a leg amputated, lived on dialysis and had a tracheotomy for the rest of his life, she said.
According to Angela, KC Pet Project responded to the scene after the attack, along with police, and returned the dogs to the dog owner's yard. They returned the next day with a search warrant, but all seven pit bulls involved in the attack -- along with 15 puppies that were inside the home -- had disappeared. This is when Angela learned there had been over 15 complaints filed about the dogs prior to attacking her brother. Two large holes at the bottom of the fence line continue to be visible.
The city's ordinance limits the number of dogs to four per household.
Police are not releasing any information about the investigation. We do know that John Thibeaux SR and John Thibeaux JR live at the residence. We also know that one of the remaining pit bulls at the residence is of the XL bully variant. Given that there were 15 puppies inside the home, this is also a breeding operation. Thibeaux isn't a common name, belonging to just 843 individuals, most of whom live in Louisiana. It is unknown if this owner is the breeder of "Thibeaux's Espresso" and others.
KSHB interviewed Holly Lane, the neighbor who intervened with a golf club and sustained serious injuries. Lane, who owns the camera that captured the attack, said it happened in front of her home. "My leg is bad, but I’m alive and he’s not," Lane said. "I’ve had to Mace them before, I’ve had to use a golf club before and they’ve even come after my husband," she said. "The dogs sit there and tug and tug at the fence, and then they rip holes in the fence," she said about the dogs' poor confinement.
With over 15 previous complaints on these dogs, along with routine fencing failures and two dozen dogs on the property -- an unlicensed breeding operation -- prior to the vicious attack speaks volumes about the lack of enforcement by KC Pet Project. The agency’s contract with the city expired in April, but they continue to operate under an amendment to the contract. Discussions about a future contract with KCPP, if any, are expected in December. We hope that Angela speaks at this public meeting.
Two dogs on the property were not involved in the attack; one appears to be an XL bully.
11/08/24: Man Dies After Vicious Attack
Kansas City, MO - One man is dead, and a woman injured after being attacked by a vicious dog pack on November 2. Kansas City police officers were dispatched to the 3200 block of East 80th Street at approximately 9:50 pm. Multiple dogs were actively attacking the man when police arrived. Officers discovered that a woman had also been attacked. She sustained serious injuries to her extremities. Both victims were transported to a hospital. The male victim, Chris Culbertson, 46, died Wednesday.
Culbertson's sister Angela shared surveillance video with KSHB -- the 23 minute attack was captured by the camera. Culbertson was riding his bicycle when the dog pack pulled him down. Culbertson sustained "over 300 dog bites, over 500 stitches, and over 100 lacerations," Angela said. "They ripped his cheek off, his chin, his heels of his feet." As of Thursday, the seven dogs remained at the owner's home, according to Angela. KSHB showed footage of the home's fence line that contained holes.
KC Pet Project, who contracts animal control services for the city, is assisting Kansas City police investigators. Since taking over animal services in 2020, KC Pet Project has been under fire for failing to seize and manage biting and dangerous dogs. It is unknown if any of the seven dogs had a history of running loose or being violent. The identity of the dogs' owner has not been released. It is unknown why none of the dogs, apparently, were seized by KC Pet Project after the multi-victim attack Saturday.
Killed by Pit Bull Pack
On Friday, Fox4 spoke to Angela, who confirmed the dog pack contained multiple pit bulls. Both Angela and Culbertson also own one or more pit bulls. “I cannot believe that some dogs could do this to a human," Angela said. "I couldn't imagine being bitten or torn by anything for 23 minutes." After sustaining critical injuries, Culbertson became septic and died while hospitalized. The woman who was attacked tried to help Culbertson by hitting the dogs with a golf club. The dogs then turned on her.
Also on Friday, six days after the multi-victim mauling that led to Culbertson's death, law enforcement agencies seized the attacking dogs. The surveillance camera that captured the 23 minute attack belonged to a neighbor of the dogs' owner. Before dying, Culbertson told his family, "They were trying to drag me like I was their dinner." His family members would like to the dogs' owner face penalties. "The people that own the dogs need to be held accountable for this,” Angela said. "This is murder."
Chris Culbertson, 46, died after being attacked by a vicious dog pack while riding his bicycle.
The area where Chris Culbertson, 46, was killed by a pack of pit bulls in South Kansas City.
Baseline reporting requirements:
Law enforcement departments across the United States should release consistent "baseline" information to the media and the public after each fatal dog mauling, including these items.
A man died after being stabbed and mauled by dogs in Perris Hill Park.
Man Dies After Dog Attack
San Bernardino, CA - A man died after being stabbed and mauled by dogs at a homeless encampment in a city park. Police and paramedics were dispatched to Perris Hill Park located at 1135 East Highland Avenue around 5:20 pm Sunday. Upon arrival, responders found the man, who authorities said is homeless, suffering from suspected stab wounds and dog bites. Animal control officers confiscated 10 to 11 dogs from the scene. As of Tuesday, investigators are still trying to sort out what happened.
The San Bernardino County Coroner's Office has not yet released the cause of death. Capt. Nelson Carrington of the San Bernardino Police Department told KABC, "While the victim was being treated by medical personnel, he had what is suspected to be a potential stab wound, but again we're not 100% sure about that." Carrington added, "We won't get that information until the coroner's investigation is completed." Detectives are still trying to find the dogs' owner, who is also believed to be homeless.
Encampments and Lawsuits
Since January, the city of San Bernardino has been unable to clear homeless encampments at Perris Hill Park, or anywhere else, due to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU. The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling did not affect the city's situation. The legal issues the city faced stem from ADA violations during the process of encampment clean up. It was announced in early October that the city reached a settlement with the ACLU. Clearing homeless encampments could resume under certain conditions.
The Perris Hill Neighborhood Association posted earlier today, "Well, Mayor and City Council what do you have to say about this? The homeless at the park were supposed to be cleared out on Oct. 31st per the officer at the last Coffee with a Cop meeting. When will the city stop dragging their feet and clean up the park so the neighbors can have some peace and quiet again?" The attack occurred on November 3, three days after the park was supposed to be cleared out, according to the association.
The Inland Wire captured video of animal control officers confiscating at least one pit bull from the scene. This man's death comes a few weeks after a 59-year old homeless man in Albany, New York, was killed by a pack of pit bulls being used to guard a drug house; criminal charges are pending. In September, a 53-year old homeless man was killed by three mastiff-mixes in Oakland, California. In August, a 56-year old homeless woman was killed by a pack of great danes in Falls Feather, California.
A video posted by San Bernardino Media shows police outside of a gated area and pit bulls barking on the other side. Animal control officers confiscated at least seven pit bulls. A commenter wrote, "The gated area is where a few of the homeless people have made their own gated community." She and her church "go out there and feed them" and have gotten to know them, she wrote. "They say that they protect themselves with their dogs so that no one goes in and tries to mess with them."
A San Bernardino animal control officer is seen confiscating a pit bull from the scene.
At least seven pit bulls were confiscated from a fenced-in gated area near a building with a large horseshoe painted on it and signage that read, "Inland Empire Horseshoe Club."
A woman, 73, was killed by vicious dogs at her condominium complex in Ashville. Other people and dogs were also attacked. The dogs had a history of violence, including killing dogs previously.
Civil Lawsuit Filed UPDATE 03/12/25: As expected, the estate of Jo Echelbarger has sued all of the involved parties, including: the owners of the dogs, Adam and Susan Withers, The Reserve at Ashton Village Condominium Association, Towne Properties Asset Management Company, Pickaway County Dog Shelter, Pickaway County Dog Warden, Preston Schumacher (individually and his official capacity) and current or former Deputy Wardens of Pickaway County. Additional defendants may be added.
After a jury found the Withers guilty of involuntary manslaughter last month, Cooper Elliott, the law firm representing the Echelbarger family, released a statement indicating a civil lawsuit would be filed to seek, "accountability beyond this courtroom." The firm said: "For years, residents and neighbors sounded the alarm about these dangerous dogs. Yet, their concerns were ignored by those in power -- the HOA and the dog warden -- who had both the responsibility and the authority to take action."
The lawsuit revealed that Jo Ann and her husband had moved into The Reserve in June 2024, just four months before the dogs killed her. Neither knew about the dismal track record of the Withers two pit bulls. The Echelbarger's did not know one of the dogs had been declared dangerous in October 2023 after attacking a woman and killing her dog or that Ashton Village Management had obtained a court order forcing the removal of the dogs 1.5 months before the fatal attack, but never enforced it.
The lawsuit alleges the Dog Warden never enforced the dangerous dog requirements, including keeping the dogs locked in an enclosure with a top, muzzled and insured. The Warden's Office and the Dog Warden "knew that the Withers' front door deadlock was stuffed with a white rag since at least July 2024, rendering the door useless in keeping Apollo and Echo confined," alleges the Complaint. Both offices "knew the Withers repeatedly" and publicly flouted the dangerous dog requirements.
Just three weeks before the fatal attack, Ashville police responded to The Reserve and found Adam lying in the roadway, appearing intoxicated, and both dogs loose and clumsy after ingesting cocaine. Officers called the Warden's Office to come out and impound the dogs, but the Dog Wardens refused. Thus, police transported Adam Withers and the dogs back to the Withers' residence. Had the dogs been properly impounded that day, states the Complaint, Jo Echelbarger would be alive today.
02/13/25: Dog Owners Guilty on All Counts
After a three-day trial, a Pickaway County jury found a mother and son guilty of felony involuntary manslaughter after their two pit bulls killed a neighbor last fall. The dogs got out of their condo and attacked Jo Echelbarger, 73, as she was crouched down weeding her flower bed. Adam Withers and his mother Susan Withers were found guilty on all six counts; the other counts pertain to violations of Ohio's dog laws. Both have been in the Pickaway County Jail since October 31.
Both dogs had history of attacks at the Ashton Village condominium complex. After a vicious attack in October 2023, Apollo was declared "dangerous" by the Pickaway County Dog Warden. In April 2024, the condo association filed a lawsuit against the Withers for a permanent injunction, demanding the removal of the dogs. In September 2024, a judge issued a ruling, granting the removal. The Withers ignored this court order. On October 17, the dogs escaped their condo unit and killed Echelbarger.
With the criminal trial complete, a new civil lawsuit is expected. Cooper Elliot, the law firm representing the Echelbarger family said, "For years, residents and neighbors sounded the alarm about these dangerous dogs. Yet, their concerns were ignored by those in power -- the HOA and the dog warden -- who had both the responsibility and the authority to take action. The failure to intervene cost Jo Ann Echelbarger her life." The Withers will return to jail. A sentencing hearing will be held at a later date.
10/24/24: Police Bodycam Video
Bodycam footage was released Wednesday by the Ashville Police Department. On October 17, a pair of pit bulls broke through a screen door on a patio and attacked 73-year old Jo Echelbarger, who had been crouched on the ground weeding her flower bed. The video shows police officers arriving at the scene on Kildow Court. The officer immediately open fires on Apollo, the tan pit bull, and it flees. The officer then approaches the victim, who is blurred in the video, still lying in the flower bed.
"Is that your wife?" the officer asks. "That's my wife," the man answers. "That's the wife right there. We need medics," the officer tells his partner.
The other pit bull, Echo, is still near the victim. The officers discuss "putting the dog down." Then one officer fires five shots into the pit bull. The dog continues to stand. Dirt from the flower bed is seen splayed on the patio ground outside of the blurred area. Echo remains hearty and upright, clawing at a nearby door. "We need medics. We've got several lacerations to a female's head," the officer tells dispatch. Echelbarger was transported to a local hospital, where she died of her injuries.
After Apollo fled, he appeared near Teays Valley East Middle School, where he killed a Golden doodle being walked by its owner. "I was screaming, yelling. My male was trying to get the pit bull off. I got dragged to the ground," Courtney Johnson said. She unhooked both of her dogs and ran to safety. The female, "Sunny" did not survive. The male, "Barkely," was unharmed. "She saved my life and saved Barkley's life," she said. "She's definitely always the leader of the pack." The dogs were littermates.
Arrest and Lawsuits
On Monday, Susan and her son, Adam Withers, were arrested and charged with felony involuntary manslaughter. Both are being held at the Pickaway County Jail. Two civil lawsuits filed this year that we could not access last week are now online. The first is an injunction against the Withers to force the removal of their dogs by the Ashton Village Condominium Association. Since 2015, the Withers have been sent seven complaints about their off-leash dogs, leading to heightened complaints in 2021.
In April 2021, the notice states the Withers dogs had bitten a person and attacked another dog. In March 2022, the Withers dogs were leashed but still attacked two other dogs. In November 2023, after Apollo attacked Kimberlee Black and killed her dog, another notice was sent. This time, it was a notice to terminate the right to maintain an animal. The notice was resent in January 2024. The association filed the injunction lawsuit in April 2024. A judge awarded the injunction in September 2024.
The Withers had still not removed their two pit bulls by October 17, 2024, when they fatally attacked Echelbarger. Black filed her own lawsuit in September 2024, nearly one year after she was attacked in a "common area" at the complex. The lawsuit makes multiple claims and names multiple defendants: Susan and Adam Withers and another resident of their home at that time on Kildow Court, The Reserve at Ashton Village Condominium Association, and Towne Properties Asset Management Company.
10/21/24: Pit Bull Owners Arrested
In a significant development, two people were arrested Monday after two pit bulls killed a 73-year old woman and at least one dog last week at the Ashton Village condominium complex in Ashville, Ohio. The local paper, The Scioto Post, states that around 6:00 pm Monday, Pickaway County Swat arrived at the dog owner's home on Kildow Court and "locked down" the area. At least one of the people arrested was Adam Withers, whose pit bulls have a long history of problems at the complex.
The Columbus Dispatch reported earlier today (paywall) about court filings that are still inaccessible to the public on the Pickaway County Common Pleas website. After his dogs attacked Kimberlee and her dog last October, one of his pit bulls -- Apollo presumably -- was declared "dangerous." In December, Withers was cited for not complying with the dangerous dog restrictions. He was also cited twice in May 2024 for violating Ohio's dangerous dog laws -- failure to confine and failure to register.
The lawsuit filed by the condominium association against Withers in April 2024, states there had been problems with multiple dogs from the Withers home dating back to 2015.1 In November 2023, the association revoked the owners' right to keep two specific dogs, Apollo and Echo, at the condo. According to the Dispatch, in 2015, 2017, 2020, and twice in 2021 the association sent notices to the Withers warning them to keep their dogs on leashes when outside as required by the HOA rules.
After the seventh warning, the association began fining Withers and his mother, who owns the condo. By the time the termination notice was sent, the pair of pit bulls had engaged in multiple altercations with people and dogs. Apollo had killed at least one dog, and Echo had attacked a person, prompting the April 2024 lawsuit. Withers claimed their dogs had been provoked and refused to cooperate with authorities. Adam Withers requested a jury trial to resolve the issues, which was set for November 20.
The lawsuit filed by Kimberlee Black came in September 2024, about a year after she and her dog, "Nemo" were attacked by Apollo. Nemo was killed in the attack. Kimberlee sued Withers and the other residents of the their Kildow Court home, The Reserve at Ashton Village Condominium Association, and Towne Properties Asset Management Company. Since her lawsuit has been filed, resident Jo Echelbarger and a third dog have been killed by the Withers' two vicious pit bulls, Apollo and Echo.
Involuntary Manslaughter
The Columbus Dispatch reports (non-paywall article) that Adam Edward Withers, 35, and his mother, Susan Ann Withers, 61, both of Ashville, have each been charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter, which is a third-degree felony, in connection with the dog mauling death of 73-year-old Jo Echelbarger. The "mother and son" pair have also been charged with one count of failure to restrain "vicious" dogs. Both are being held on a $55,000 bond, according to Pickaway County Jail records.
During the arraignment hearing on Tuesday, Judge Elisa Peters raised the bond to $500,000. Posting bond (10%) will require each defendant to pay $50,000 or put up significant bail bond collateral. Conditions of their release includes no contact with the victim's family and no custody or control over any dogs. A friend of the victim watched both defendants appear in court; she said that neither displayed any remorse. The Withers are due back in court on October 30 for a preliminary hearing.
Felony charges after a fatal dog attack in Ohio are rare. We recorded the first modern case in 2016 after Annie Williams, 71, was killed by a pit bull with a violent past in front of her great-grandchildren in Shaker Heights. Leon Morton pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 30-months in jail. In that same year, a babysitter was convicted of six felonies after her pit bull with a violent past killed a baby in her care in Dayton. Kimiko Hardy was sentenced to three years in jail.
Left: Adam Withers, 35, Susan Withers, 61, and the Pickaway County Sheriff's Swat vehicle.
10/18/24: Woman and Dog Killed
Ashville, OH - A woman died after being attacked by dogs in her condominium complex on Thursday. Police received the 911 call at 3:11 pm. Jo Echelbarger, 73, was outside when two dogs escaped a home and started attacking people, according to witnesses. First responders were dispatched to a residence in the 600 block of Kildow Court, part of The Reserve at Ashton Village. Echelbarger was transported to Grant Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead shortly after 4:00 pm.
Ashville Village administrator Bert Cline said the attack was "kind of a shock to the system," adding that dog attacks in the complex are uncommon. He was told that legal action to remove the dogs had been filed in Pickaway County two weeks ago. Cline did not know the details. But a woman named Kimberlee told a private group, "I was attacked by the dog that killed my neighbor last October 26, 2023 2:36 pm. That day forever changed me and sent my life into a downward spiral of PTSD hell."
She publicly discussed the attack on her Facebook page last year. "To date the dog owner failed to meet his requirements … to date dog was evicted by HOA and have ignored the 14 day notice … to date the HOA and the Pickaway Co. Dog Warden want to play a game of tug-o-war over who is responsible for removing the dog." Her puppy "Nemo" was also attacked. "Had he not been with me when I was attacked, I would have been Apollo’s casualty that day. I can never unsee the attack on my sweet boy."
Kimberlee refers to the dog owner as "Adam," and says she was "Apollo's" third human victim and that Nemo was Apollo's third dog casualty.
In the recent attack, a woman who witnessed it wrote on Nextdoor: "I heard the screaming and ran down to see the dogs on top of her." She said police shot one of the dogs five times, but it still retreated into a home. Police had to enter to verify the dog was dead. The second dog also attacked people before it was killed. Shift Capt. Jeff Rosencrance of Harrison Township said that fire and EMS had responded to the same set of condos at least three times in the past year for animal attacks.
Rosencrance did not know if the multiple calls involved the same dog owner or the same dogs. But the dogs that attacked Echelbarger reside on Kildow Court, Rosencrance said. He described the victim's injuries in the recent attack as "a vicious and gruesome attack." Audio dispatch logs from Pickaway County Police and Fire, published by Broadcastify, state on October 17 at 3:13 pm: "You've got an active dog attack. 645 Kildow Court. Caller is advising the dog is attacking a male and his dog."
The local paper, The Scioto Post, published details on Facebook yesterday. "According to reports, two aggressive pit bulls were in the area of Kildow Court where at least one of the dogs attacked a person causing serious injuries." An officer "was forced to use lethal force to protect himself and others in the area." The second pit bull was described as brown. "Within a few minutes, there was a second report of a brown pit bull in the area of Ashville Middle School, where it was attacking another dog."
"Apollo" is a tan male pit bull, owned by Adam Withers. He also owns "Echo," a brown and white male pit bull, potentially of the XL variety. Yesterday, Withers accused a person of shooting "innocent dogs inside private property." He also said, "My neighbor is dead." Some commenters chimed in, "I hope they put you in jail" and "Your dog killed another dog and an old lady." His Facebook page is loaded with pit bull and bully breed memes. It's unclear if Withers has any interests beyond pit bull breeds.
Civil Lawsuits In Progress
On September 16, 2024 Kimberlee sued Withers and the other residents of his Kildow Court home, The Reserve at Ashton Village Condominium Association, and Towne Properties Asset Management Company. Due to "upgrades" on the Pickaway County Common Pleas website, the Complaint is not available to download. On October 8, 2024 Withers Answered the complaint as a pro se defendant. The case status is "open." Black, Kimberlee v. Withers, Adam et al Prk (Case No. 2024CI0211).
Prior to this, on April 4, 2024, The Reserve at Ashton Village Condominium Association sued Withers and the other residents of his Kildow Court home. It is a complaint for "permanent injunction and monetary damages with exhibits filed." A decision was issued on September 11, 2024 that could be favorable to the condo association. A trial is scheduled for November 20, 2024. The case status is "open." Reserve at Ashton Village Condominium Assoc. v. Withers et al Prk (Case No. 2024CI0095).
We have requested the Complaints from the Pickaway County Clerk in each lawsuit to learn more.
The suspected fatally attacking dogs, two male pit bull terriers, Apollo and Echo, respectively.
Jo Echelbarger was killed by vicious dogs at the Ashton Village condominium complex.
1The 2015 notice was directed at one of Susan's dogs, "Abby," a white chihuahua or "Sniper," an English bulldog. In 2017, Adam met Chelsea, according to their wedding website. They got engaged in January 2018 and married in October 2018. During this period, they acquired two male pit bulls, Apollo and Echo, which are seen as puppies on their wedding website. Up until May 2024, the Withers had four dogs at their home at 665 Kildow Court. All complaints about aggression, biting, and attacking -- which began ratcheting up in 2020 -- pertain to the two male pit bulls.
Baseline reporting requirements:
Law enforcement departments across the United States should release consistent "baseline" information to the media and the public after each fatal dog mauling, including these items.
Dog Bite Fatalities Surged in 2022; a 104% Increase from 2019
DogsBite.org - Last April, we published the 2021 Macro-Level Forces Report for U.S. dog bite fatality data. Current data shows that during 2021, the second Covid year, our nonprofit had a 28-victim deficit compared to CDC Wonder underlying cause of death (UCD) data, a 42% difference in the number of deaths.1 The victim deficit during the third Covid year, 2022, is even higher. CDC Wonder data shows there were 98 dog bite fatalities in 2022. Our nonprofit recorded 56 deaths, a 55% difference.
98 fatal dog attacks in a single year are the most ever recorded by CDC data. This is a 104% increase from 2019 and a 180% increase from 2018.
Prior to the pandemic (2005 to 2019), the largest deficit of unreported deaths our nonprofit had compared to CDC data was 4 each for the years 2005 and 2010. During 2022, there was a deficit of 42 unreported deaths. Without our FOIAs, the deficit would have been 48. The disparity during 2022 is greater than in 2021 and 2020, even though the average number of citations per victim only fell 30% (15.9) in 2022, compared to falling 44% (12.8) in 2020 from the pre-Covid baseline year of 2019 (22.7).
A regional breakdown of dog bite fatalities in 2022 shows that the South and Midwest had the most unreported deaths. According to CDC Wonder data, 69% (68 of 98) of the victims in 2022 were ≥ 45 years old. Our nonprofit only captured 47% (32 of 68) of these deaths. However, we already knew the 50 and older age group was underrepresented in media reports. We discussed this disparity in our 2020 discussion notes (Comparing 15-Year Data Sets - DogsBite.org Data and CDC Wonder Data).
U.S. dog bite fatalities during the third Covid year, 2022, by Census region and age
Characteristics of Unreported Fatal Dog Attacks (2005 to 2024)
Since 2011, we have uncovered 36 unreported deaths through FOIAs or other means. Most of them, 61% (22), occurred after March 2020. The most likely unreported fatal dog attack is an adult ≥ 40 years old, 75% (27), killed by a single or pair of pit bulls (18 of 27) in an urban area (22 of 27) within a state that prohibits or limits breed-specific laws. Of the 36 total deaths, 72% (26) involved pit bulls, and of that, 65% (17 of 26) involved a single or pair of family pit bulls killing a household member.
72% (26) of the total unreported fatal attacks involved family dogs killing a household member, and 67% (24) involved a single dog attacking.
During 2022, the 6 unreported deaths we uncovered included four males, ≥ 40 years old, killed by 1 or more pit bulls. In one case, the man had adopted the pair of pit bulls two weeks earlier. We also uncovered two child deaths in 2022, both ≤ 1 year old. Of the 8 total unreported child deaths, including the ones just mentioned, 50% (4) were killed by pit bulls, 38% (3) were killed by American bulldogs, and 13% (1) was killed by a mastiff. 75% of these deaths involved a family dog killing the child.
CDC Wonder dog bite fatality data compared to DogsBite.org data over 18 years (2005-2022).
Discussion
Initially, the chart appears to reflect the pandemic kicked off a visible increase in year-to-year deaths. However, the largest increase is from 2018 to 2019, a 37% rise, which occurred pre-Covid. From 2019 to 2020, there was a 29% rise in deaths; from 2020 to 2021, a 31% rise; and from 2021 to 2022 a 21% rise. The chart also shows that during the 37% rise from 2018 to 2019, our capture rate was not impeded. When Covid-19 macro-forces erupted in 2020, our capture rate declined each year after.
The chart also shows that between 2005 and 2018, the average number of deaths per year captured by our nonprofit was 33.86, compared to CDC Wonder data of 33.64. The annual number of deaths during that 14-year period gradually increases but otherwise shows slight variation. After three years of Covid conditions, between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022, the average number of deaths per year captured by our nonprofit rose to 52.00, and CDC Wonder data shot up to 80.33.
Thus, one must ask what happened between 2018 and 2022, when the number of deaths per year rose by 180% (from 35 CDC Wonder deaths to 98). The number of dog bite fatalities increased during that period much faster than the 14-year period between 2005 to 2018. After years of annual deaths in the 30s range, CDC data suddenly skips deaths in the 50s range and 70s range. CDC data shows that in 2019, there were 48 deaths; in 2020, 62 deaths; in 2021, 81 deaths, and in 2022, 98 deaths.
Pre-Covid Trends
In our nonprofit's data, several trends were rising before 2019. Between 2005 to 2018, the ages and genders of victims between the first and third periods (2005-2009 and 2015-2018) show that the percentage of fatal dog attacks involving adults, 50-69 years old, rose 77%. This was largely driven by females, 50-69 years old, which rose 98%. Males declined overall, but the 50-69 years old age group rose 49%. During this same period, the percentage of fatal attacks involving pit bulls rose by 29%.
While the number of "actual" rescue dogs involved in fatal dog attacks is impossible to obtain, the percentage of people killed by rescue dogs jumped from 2% during the first period (2005-2009) to 15.9% during the third period (2015-2018), a rise of over 600%. Owner-directed fatal dog attacks rose from 10.7% during the first period to 17.2% during the third period, a 62% rise. Those were some trends heading into 2019, which began the steep ladder increase in CDC data from 2019 to 2022.
Covid 2022 Conditions
In January 2022, the Omicron and Delta variants began surging, causing the U.S. death rate to climb again. Booster shots were in great demand. In March, several regions in China had new lockdowns (tens of millions of people). In April, CDC reported that Covid was the third leading cause of death in the U.S. -- after heart disease and cancer. Meanwhile, Covid-19 continued to wreak havoc on supply chains and labor shortages, both of which contributed to rising prices and inflation around the world.
Possible Covid conditions contributing to the disparity of 42 unreported dog bite fatalities in 2022 aren't as straightforward as in 2020. However, there continued to be "hollowed out staffing" and layoffs in the news media sector. Phrases like "news deserts" -- areas where newspapers no longer exist -- and "ghost papers" gained traction.2-3 More paywalls went up,4 and there continued to be a reduction of media releases from police. All of which impacted our ability to capture more deaths.
Summary
During 2022, there was a 30% (15.9) reduction in the number of citations per victim compared to the pre-Covid baseline year of 2019 (22.7). There was a surge in unreported fatal dog attacks, 42 deaths, and a rise in the total number of deaths to 98 -- the highest ever recorded in CDC Wonder data. This is a 104% increase from 2019 and a 180% increase from 2018. Victims ≥ 45 years old accounted for the most unreported dog bite fatalities, and most attacks occurred in the South and Midwest regions.
Given the increase of fatal dog attacks during pre-Covid 2019 and the surge that followed, we predict another rise in unreported deaths in 2023.
There was a significant increase of fatal dog attacks during the 2020, 2021 and 2022 Covid years, but the growth began in 2019. The largest increase occurred between 2018 and 2019, with a 37% rise in dog bite fatalities. What drove that growth likely continued through the Covid years, combined with being impacted by Covid conditions, including more at-risk populations being displaced.5-6 At the same time, our nonprofit's capture rate declined due to lowered media reports instigated by Covid.
U.S. dog bite fatality average citations per-victim for 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
1"Current data" may not reflect "past" data due to uncovering new dog bite fatalities from past years. For instance, current data for our 2021 dog bite fatality capture rate shows a 28-victim deficit compared to CDC Wonder data. At the time of the original publication date -- April 18, 2023 -- there was a 29-victim deficit in our 2021 data. 2Rick Edwards, "An updated survey of US newspapers finds 360 more have closed since 2019," Poynter, June 29, 2024 (poynter.org). 3The State of Local News: The 2022 Report, by Penny Abernathy, Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, June 29, 2022 (localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu) | "Even though the pandemic was not the catastrophic “extinction-level event” some feared, the country lost more than 360 newspapers between the waning pre-pandemic months of late 2019 and the end of May 2022. " 4Sara Fischer, "Media experts sound alarm on rise of paywalled content," Axios, January 11, 2022 (axios.com). 5Over the 14-year period of 2005 to 2018, we recorded 3 homeless individuals killed by dogs. Just under a 6-year period, from January 2019 to October 2024, we recorded at least 12 homeless individuals killed by dogs. The number is easily higher. Police may not release a victim's "living status" information, and if next-of-kin cannot be located, police won't release the victim's name. 6Kevin Freking, "US homelessness up 12% to highest reported level as rents soar and coronavirus pandemic aid lapses," Associated Press, December 15, 2023 (apnews.org).
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