Number of Dog Bites in PA Rising
It seems the number of dog bites is rising in PA, especially if one looks at the number of stories in the news about dog bites. Here are some examples in recent months:
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Family: Dog Attack Victim Responds to Treatment
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Girl Recovering from Pit Bull attack: Am I Dead?
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Pit Bull Mauls Girl, 8, in Newark
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Pack of Dogs "Didn't Stop" Until One Was Shot
Is this a merely a media driven perception, or does this glut of new stories mean there is an actual phenomenon when it comes to the number of dog bites? I can recall a summer several years ago when I was certain -- 100% positive -- that the number of shark attacks, globally, were on the rise, because every day, there was a new story about a shark attack on a human.
Back then, someone did a study of the number of shark attacks that summer as contrasted by the number of attack in previous years. Guess what? The number of attacks that summer had not increased, statistically. In fact, the number of shark attacks on people was down. The media had, evidently, created a false phenomenon by virtue of the media's decision that shark attack stories were in vogue that summer, hence every attack received coverage.
What, then, is the truth about the number of dog bite attacks? Are the overall numbers on the rise? On October 1, 2014, Bloomberg has reported:
Either dogs are getting feistier or their owners are. Last year, the number of dog bite claims increased almost 6 percent to 17,359, according to the Insurance Information Institute, breaking the record for number of claims set in 2003. With an average cost per claim of $27,862—up 45 percent over the past decade—those dog bites accounted for more than a third of all homeowners insurance liability-claim dollars paid out in 2013.
So it's true. Dog bites are on the rise. See some of the other articles on this site about:
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How to Prevent a Dog Bite?
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What To Do During An Attack?
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What are the Rules and Law in Pennsylvania to Help Your Recovery Money For Your Injuries?