In 2007, the USA has seen 29 canine homicides to date. The latest was in Tennessee earlier this week. See the post, below.

19 killings have been in the 18 states that follow the one-bite rule. Only 10 killings have been in the other 32 states. Texas leads the nation with 8 deaths and Tennessee is second with 4. (See The Death Count In 2007 on the home page of Dog Bite Law; also see the month-by-month breakdown of recent canine homicides at Dangerous and Vicious Dogs on the Dog Bite Law website.)

The one-bite rule was fashioned by British judges in the 1600s and specifically exempts dog owners from responsibility for the first bite by each and every one of their dogs. Can there be any doubt that this rule of non-responsibility is a contributing cause of the dog bite epidemic?

The one-bite rule needs to be repealed in all 50 American states.