Richard H. Polsky, Ph.D. CDBC
Los Angeles, California
“Bringing the science of animal behavior to attorneys”
A blog for attorneys & dog bite victims by animal behavior expert, Richard Polsky, PhD. The dog bite injury blog was created to report current news about injury caused to people as a result of being attacked by a canine. An animal behavior perspective is used. Stories for inclusion have been carefully chosen based on where the incident happened, the breed of dog involved, the nature of the injury, legal implications, and whether a canine fatality occurred.
Oakland California, 53-year-old man mauled by Cane Corso type dogs Three Cane Corso x Neapolitan mastiff-type dogs escaped the backyard of the property of the owner and then dragged the Read More..
The inherent dangers of dog packs and the manner in which they can cause a dog-related human fatality are addressed in other sections of this website. Below, I remind the reader Read More..
Amazon delivery divers making home deliveries to residential customers are at high-risk of being attacked and bitten by a territorial aggressive dog. Despite this danger, those making policies regarding worker Read More..
Texas remains one of the American states where fatal dog attacks happen at disproportionately high rates. Previously, I provided expert commentary on the high rate of fatal dog attacks in Read More..
Another tragic dog bite fatality happened in January 2020 in Lafayette, Indiana. In this instance the victim, a 26-day-old infant, was likely killed because of the dog’s redirected aggression. Circumstances Read More..
As an animal behaviorist who has testified in criminal proceedings as an expert witness regarding fatal dog attacks, I read with great sadness of the recent fatal dog attack in Read More..
Cane corso fatal dog attacks on people in the United States happen at disproportionately high rates. I have reviewed some of these instances in previous posts on this website. Not surprisingly, Read More..
Approximately 30-40 fatal dog attacks on people are recorded each year in the United States. Most animal behavior experts believe that the majority of these instances are highly preventable. This Read More..
In most instances of adoption of a dog from an animal shelter, most Ph.D. dog bite experts hold the opinion that properly conducted behavioral testing, although questionable, may still be Read More..
More people in Texas are killed by dogs than any other state in the United States. In a previous post, I have offered reasons for this which I believe in part may Read More..
A 52-year-old lady was killed in the southern section of Dallas Texas on May 2, 2016 by a pack of stray dogs. The family of the victim is demanding $5 million Read More..
The circumstances surrounding a fatal dog attack in California in April, 2016 on a three-day-old infant suggests that the dog’s predatory inclinations may have been at work. In this fatal dog Read More..
The reasons why some fatal dog bite attacks happen are often not clear. One such example comes from a recent North Carolina fatal dog attack that happened in March, 2016 in South Read More..
The dangers of the pack of unsupervised pit bulls in the confines of territory exemplified in Olympia WA fatal dog attack Territorial aggression is a common behavioral trait displayed by many Read More..
People contemplating suicide have several options to choose from: hanging, drowning, slashing one’s wrist or by gunshot. Rarely, if ever however, do people commit suicide by throwing themselves “to-the dogs”. Read More..
California dog bites fatalities: summaries for late 2015 maulings Below, I summarize three California dog bites fatalities which happened in late 2015. There are common features in all three Read More..
It is rare that one reads about a Fila Brasileiro fatal dog attack. The likely reason is simple: the breed is not that popular. Unlike other more popular docile mastiff Read More..
Dog bite expert witness and animal behavior specialist, Richard Polsky, Ph.D. welcomes inquiries from New York attorneys seeking dog bite expert witness opinion and consultation. Expert services rendered by Dr. Read More..
Previously I listed reasons why Texas leads the nation with regard to the number of people killed annually by dogs. One may be the culture of Texas, particularly in rural areas Read More..
Previously, I’ve noted the occurrence of fatal dog attacks on young children on swings. This probably happens, in part, because a child on a swing is in motion and this kind Read More..
Most animal behaviorists would probably agree that a pack of dogs pose greater risk to public safety than a single dog, particularly if these dogs were untrained, not neutered, Read More..
The elderly and the very young are killed by dogs more frequently when compared with other age groups in the United States, according to dog bite expert witness Richard Polsky, Read More..
Epidemiological studies indicate that about 30-40 people killed by dogs annually United States and that the victims are usually those who possess limited abilities to defend themselves against a powerful, Read More..
Alex Jackson really did not have much of a chance when his case came before jury in California in August 2014. Jackson was facing charges of second-degree murder for an Read More..
Six dogs were seized from a home in the Goulds section of Miami following a deadly dog attack on a four-year-old old boy on August 13, 2014. The incident happened Read More..
The majority of people in United States killed by pit bulls are unfamiliar with the dog. Exceptions do occur, however. For example, in 2011 a 32-year-old pregnant woman was killed Read More..
Cane Corso’s are large and muscular mastiff type dogs that have developed a reputation for aggression towards people. Cane Corsos have been disproportionately represented in a number of fatal dog Read More..
A supposedly non-aggressive, family pit bull mix named Polo, killed a 59-year-old woman in Madison Twp. Ohio in August 2014. The daughter of the victim, owner of the dog, states Read More..
Research in animal behavior by PhD trained animal behaviorists studying dog behavior have demonstrated the reliability and consistency of aggressive like behaviorof dogs in specified contexts. For example, in one study, Read More..
Bull mastiffs have inflicted fatal dog bites to people at relatively high rates in the last five years. I have reported five fatal dog attacks by bull mastiffs: a fatal Read More..