BY DR MAJID KATME
3 November 2025
Dog attacks are a significant public health concern globally, causing:
tens of millions of injuries annually and an estimated 30,000 to 59,000 deaths per year ,mostly due to rabies in low- and middle-income countries. In high-income countries like the U.S. and Europe, deaths from the physical trauma of an attack are much rarer.
Global and National Statistics
Global Injuries: Dog bites account for tens of millions of injuries worldwide each year.
Global Deaths: An estimated 59,000 people die annually from rabies transmitted by dogs, primarily in Asia and Africa. Deaths from the physical attack itself (excluding rabies complications) average around 7.2 cases per 100 million inhabitants in Europe and a comparable rate in the U.S..
United States: Approximately 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs every year, with about 800,000 seeking medical treatment. Between 2011 and 2021, there was an average of 43 deaths annually caused by a dog bite or strike.
England and Wales: Hospital admissions for dog bites have increased significantly over the last 20 years, from 4,699 in 2007-08 to 9,336 in 2022-23. Fatalities, while rare, also increased, with 2 deaths in 2019 rising to 16 in 2023.
Risk Factors and Demographics
Victims: Children and the elderly are the most vulnerable to fatal injuries. In the U.S., children aged one to four are the most frequent victims of fatal attacks.
Location: The vast majority of fatal attacks (around 81%) occur in or adjacent to the dog owner’s home or yard.
Dog Ownership: In 75% to 96% of fatal cases, the dog involved in the attack belongs to the victim’s owner or a neighbor.
Common Factors in Fatal Attacks:
A study identified several overlapping factors in a majority of fatal incidents, including:
No able-bodied person was present to intervene (87%).
The victim was a stranger to the dogs (85%).
The dogs were not family pets (76%) and were often unneutered/intact (84%).
The victim was unable to manage the dogs due to age or condition (77%).
Dog Breeds
While any dog can bite, certain breeds are overrepresented in statistics for severe and fatal injuries due to their physical capacity to inflict serious harm (e.g., pit bulls, rottweilers, German shepherds).
However, the most commonly owned breeds (like the Labrador Retriever) have a high incidence of biting simply because they are more popular, though their bites are less often fatal.
Breed-specific legislation has been introduced in some regions (e.g., the UK’s Dangerous Dogs Act) to manage the risks associated with certain powerful breeds.
Overall, dog bites are a common public health issue, but fatalities in developed nations remain rare, often involving a combination of specific behavioral and environmental factors.
THERE ARE ABOUT 10 MILLION DOGS IN THE UK
MOST DOGS ARE LIVING AT HOME WITH FAMILIES AND CHILDREN
TO ADD : THESE PROBLEMS AND DISEASES:
RABIES…killer disease !
BITES/INJURIES
DEATH OF CHILDREN AND OLD PEOPLE
Parasite from the dogs will cause epilepsy in the brain
Contaminated grass in the parks
Contaminating your food
Barking/problems with neighbours/court cases
Expensive to look after or to treat medically
MANY HOMELESS DOGS
IN ISLAM:
IT IS FORBIDDEN TO KEEP A DOG INSIDE THE HOUSE…
ANGELS WILL NOT ENTER A HOUSE WITH DOGS INSIDE
NOT TO TOUCH THE MOUTH/BACK PASSAGE/NOT TO KISS OR LICK THE MOUTH
IS UNCLEAN(Najis) not to touch
SOME MUSLIMS UNFORTUNATELY ARE KEEPING DOGS INSIDE THEIR HOUSES WITH CHILDREN AROUND!!!
BUT:
Dogs can be used to GUARD the house/farm , if kept outside the house
To use in smelling DRUGS, or in the diagnosis of CANCERS
A MUSLIM GIVING WATER (or food) TO A THIRSTY OR HUNGRY DOG ,HIS/HER SINS WILL BE FORGIVEN
THERE ARE NON MUSLIM ORGANISATIONS IN THE UK/WEST WHO ARE CAMPAIGNING AGAINST DOGS…
TODAY(3 Nov/25) IN THE NEWS IN UK:9 months baby attacked and killed by the family dog at home !
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/caldicot-police-ambulance-incident-live-36178130?utm_source=mirror_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=main_daily_newsletter&utm_co
