Injuries and deaths from vicious dogs occur regularly. Every jurisdiction has laws aimed at preventing such incidents and punishing dog owners who cause them.
Because a dog can inflict severe injury and death, a potentially dangerous or vicious dog can be ordered destroyed or its owner ordered to keep it under very strict conditions.
Overview
The meaning of "dangerous" and "vicious"
Dog bite statistics
The problem with statistics
A propensity to attack other dogs means a dog is dangerous to people
Other ways that dogs can be considered dangerous
Breeds considered the most dangerous
Pit bulls: facts and figures
Pit bulls: risks and solutions
Personality and behavioral characteristics of owners of vicious breeds of dog
Canine homicides
The Dianne Whipple case
The Tyler Huston case
Serial and rampage attacks
Attacks that resulted in serious injuries but not death
A primer on dangerous dog laws
Regulation of dangerous dogs
Criminal penalties for owners of dangerous dogs
Criminal penalties for dog bites
Dog fighting
Protection dogs
Dealing with a dangerous dog as a public nuisance
Differences between animal control orders and judicial orders
Why dogs bite people
A dog attack danger scale to keep you and your kids safe
Research articles about dog bites
Also see Statistics, Legal rights of a person who is injured while defending another person or a pet from attack, Breed specific laws, regulations and bans, and Preventing dog bites.
