On January 26, an elected representative of Tarn was found dead at her home, the victim of cardiac arrest following multiple bites caused by her two rottweilers.
A few days earlier, a four-year-old boy from Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine) was hospitalized after being bitten by the American bully of an animator in the city.
Two days before Christmas, a resident of Haute-Garonne says she "almost died" when she met a Malinois in her garden in freedom ...
Leafing through the news section of the regional daily press, we understand that hardly a day goes by in France without a dog attack.
While the veterinary services estimate the number of annual bites at 250,000 (!), The National Health Security Agency (ANSES) sought to know if the breed of the animal had a relationship with the probability of being bitten.
In a report made public on Monday and that we were able to consult, ANSES experts challenge this preconceived idea.
"We interviewed veterinarians, looked through the scientific literature, consulted our colleagues abroad and came to the conclusion that there is no obvious link between the breed of a dog and the risk of bites", explains Matthieu Schuler, director of risk assessment at ANSES.
"You can be disfigured by the bite of a poodle"
And yet, the regulations currently in force in France are indeed based on the breed to classify so-called dangerous dogs in two categories, including attack dogs such as pitbulls, boerbulls or rottweilers.
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Their owners must have a detention permit, a certificate of aptitude and have their animal's behavior assessed.
“To date, no scientific study has shown a higher risk of bite by so-called“ dangerous ”category 1 and 2 dogs, underlines ANSES.
The United States, the Netherlands and Italy, which had adopted similar categorizations, have abandoned them after noting their ineffectiveness in reducing the risk of bites ”.
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“Some of the most biting animals do not appear in these two categories and when I was a veterinarian, the dogs I was most suspicious of were the Yorkie and the cocker spaniel,” replies the LREM deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes Loïc Dombreval.
You have to be aware that you can be disfigured by the bite of a poodle ”.
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Rottweilers, German Shepherds and Pitbulls are listed side by side as the most biting dogs, but also seemingly more docile breeds such as Labradors, Jack Russell or Dachshunds.
In a report submitted to the Minister of Agriculture last June, Loïc Dombreval explains that "the aggressiveness of the dog is generally the consequence of inappropriate behavior on the part of the owner who has poorly educated his animal".
“Whatever their size or breed, all dogs can bite and our experts recommend strengthening the behavioral assessments carried out by veterinarians in the event of a bite,” explains Matthieu Schuler.
The importance of animal education
The owners still need to let them know.
"Most of the bites taking place in the private circle, they are not systematically known and even when a doctor sees a child who has been bitten on the face by his dog, he does not always declare it" regrets Loïc Dombreval.
ANSES experts believe that the first vaccination visit or the annual veterinary check-up "should be an opportunity to raise awareness of the risk factors for bites and to stress the importance of animal education. ".
In order to better understand and prevent the circumstances of dog attacks, ANSES is also proposing the creation of a bite observatory.