Serious injuries from dog bites aren’t that common in Utah, based on state data.
Fatal dog attacks like the one in Taylorsville are even less common in the Beehive State, according to federal data.
But a publicized dog attack is often followed by efforts to crack down on specific breeds, such as legislation and prohibitions of certain breeds in rental housing.
Around 8,000 people visited the emergency room for dog bite injuries between 2016 and 2021, according to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.
Fewer than 200 of those — about 2.5% — resulted in a hospitalization. That’s an average of 33 dog bites a year where someone was injured seriously enough to be admitted to the hospital.
From 1999 to 2020, there were few enough deaths in Utah from dog bites that the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control suppressed the data.
The federal agency’s Wide-ranging ONline Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) database suppresses data when death counts, birth counts, death rates and other data when a figure is lower than 10.
There were 734 total deaths with dog bites as the underlying cause in those 21 years across the country.
Three neighboring states had enough deaths for WONDER to log them:
Arizona had 31 deaths, putting it in the top five
Colorado had 12
Nevada had 10
According to the CDC, Wyoming had no deaths from dog bites from 1999 to 2020. The agency suppressed Idaho’s data, meaning it likely had between one and nine deaths.
Though Forbes analyzed mounds of data and found pit bull-type dogs are involved in the most incidents where the breed is identified and in the most fatal attacks, those numbers have a big caveat.
A 2019 study found just 39.9% of 26,000 bites analyzed were attributable to a specific breed.
Pit bulls have a bad reputation despite being good family dogs and good with other animals, said Kiera Packer, who coordinates the “Pit Crew” program for Salt Lake County Animal Services. The breed and similar dogs also don’t have locking jaws or the strongest jaws and are not inherently aggressive, she said.
Dog bites rarely get coverage, she said, but reports when pit bull-type dogs are involved are “often sensationalized and overrepresented.”
(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Shylo, a six-year-old pit bull steals a kiss from Lexi Stringfellow, behavior coordinator at the Humane Society of Utah, in Murray, Utah Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014.
Pit Crew uses social media to promote animals in the care of Salt Lake County Animal Services, she said. The team also educates adopters about different breeds and the public about pit bulls as a breed, including breaking down stereotypes and myths, Parker said.
Any dog can bite — yes, even the cuddliest, fuzziest, sweetest pet — if provoked, and that’s coming straight from the U.S. Postal Service.
The federal agency even says many letter carriers report attacks by dogs whose owners regularly said their pet wouldn’t bite.
The chance of a dog bite comes down to the canine’s individual history and behavior, not its breed, the American Veterinary Medical Association says.
Dogs typically bite because they’re reacting to something that creates stress or scares them and they think they need to defend themselves, Packer said. They also may bite because they’re sick or accidentally bite while playing, she said.
Owners can train their pets, teach them commands and recall, make sure they don’t get overstimulated, keep them on a leash when out in public and protect them from unwanted attention and affection from people to prevent bites, Packer said.
People also should advocate for their pets, she said, and should not be afraid to step in and tell someone their dog would prefer not to be petted. A muzzle is another option to help keep a dog safe, and there are tips for properly muzzling a dog at muzzleupproject.com, she said.
Salt Lake County Animals Services works daily with people on responsible pet ownership, Packer said.
Animal Care staff works with people on adopting a dog that’s the best fit for their lifestyle, educates people about microchips, licensing and vaccines and holds workshops hosted by local trainers to teach people adopting dogs, she said, among other programming.
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Megan Banta is The Salt Lake Tribune’s data enterprise reporter, a philanthropically supported position. The Tribune retains control over all editorial decisions.
