Press Room

On this page, members of the media can find information about us, including brief bios and our full vitas. We’ve also included some statistics about companion animals and injuries caused by them. Go to Interviews and Articles to see a list of our recent lectures and media appearances, news releases, and articles and quotes from us on animal behavior, which you can use with the stated restrictions. . If you need more information click here to leave us an email, call us at 303-932-9095, fax us at 303-932-2298 or write at Animal Behavior Associates, Inc., 4994 South Independence Way, Littleton, CO 80123.

Biographies of Associates in ABA

Photographs of Suzanne Hetts & Daniel Estep

Suzanne Hetts	Suzanne Hetts & Daniel Estep	Daniel Estep
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Some Statistics About Companion Animals and Animal-Caused Injuries

• Fifty-eight percent of all U.S. households owned at least one pet during 2001.
  
  
• Sixty percent of all U.S. pet owning households owned more than one pet during 2001.
  
  
• Forty-seven percent of all pet owning households considered their pet a part of the family.
  
  
• Fifty-one percent of all dog owning households considered the dog a family member.
  
  
• Forty-six percent of all cat owning households considered the cat a family member.
  
  
• Thirty-six percent of all U.S. households owned at least one dog, 32 percent owned at least one cat, 5 percent owned at least one bird and 2 percent owned at least one horse.
  
  
• The total number of dogs owned in the U.S. in 2001 was estimated to be 61.6 million.
  
  
• The total number of cats owned in the U.S. in 2001 was estimated to be 68.9 million.
  
  
• The total number of birds owned in the U.S. in 2001 was estimated to be 10.1 million.
  
  
• The total number of horses owned in the U.S. in 2001 was estimated to be 5.1 million.
  
  
• The mountain states had the highest percentage of households with pets (62%) while the middle Atlantic states had the fewest (50%).
  
  
• The state with the highest percentage of households owning pets was Idaho (71%) while the lowest was the District of Columbia (25%).
  
  
• The number of people bitten by dogs in the U.S. each year is estimated to be 4.7 million.
  
  
• The number of people that visit emergency rooms each year as a result of dog bites is 330,000.
  
  
• The number of people hospitalized each year as a result of dog bites is 6,000.
  
  
• The number of people killed each year as a result of dog bites is between 15 and 20.
  
  
• It has been estimated that the total costs of dog bite injuries each year is between $236 million and $254 million.
  • It is impossible at present to say with any scientific certainty whether specific breeds of dogs are more dangerous than others. This is because 1) there is no uniform reporting of dog bites, 2) identification of dog breeds is not always reliable, 3) bite rates comparing different breeds must be adjusted by the numbers of different breeds in the population; at present we do not have those figures, 4) the frequency of biting by different breeds has varied over time and 5) labeling a breed as dangerous oversimplifies the causes of dog bites and ignores other important factors such as how the dog was socialized, how he is trained, cared for and managed and the behavior of the victim.

Sources of Pet and Dog Bite Statistics:

• U.S. Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook, 2002, American Veterinary Medical Association, Schumburg, IL. www.avma.org.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/dogbites.htm
• Humane Society of the United States www.nodogbites.org