Residents of Arizona love their animals, and it can be difficult to understand that an extremely loved pet may snap and bite or attack an unsuspecting victim.
The reality is that there are types of dogs that are more likely to be temperamental and violent than others, and it is a part of responsible dog ownership to be aware of their triggers, the likelihood that they will attack and how to handle them around strangers or children.
PIt Bull is at the top of the list
During the time period from 1979 to 1996, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified the Pit Bull as the most likely dog to be involved in fatal attacks. According to Forbes, there were 60 fatal incidents linked to the breed during that era.
Since then, studies have been done on dog attacks between the years of 2005 and 2017. The numbers show that the most likely dog to attack has not changed and the Pit Bull killed over 284 people during that time frame. That accounted for 66 percent of the total number of fatalities from dog bites or attacks. This number is particularly interesting when you consider that Pit Bulls only make up 6.5 percent of the dog population in the United States.
The second-most dangerous breed, which accounted for 45 fatal attacks from 2005 to 2017, was the Rottweiler.
The German Shepherd came in third with 20 fatal attacks.
Even mellow breeds can be dangerous
It is important to remember that even breeds that are not known to be aggressive made the list, and nine fatal attacks were caused by the Labrador Retriever. This is typically known as a mellow, friendly breed.
Other breeds included on the list include the American bulldog, the Husky, the Boxer, the Mastiff or Bullmastiff and the Doberman Pinscher. Mixed breed dogs were responsible for 17 fatal attacks during the time period studied.