New York City Dog Bites Climbed Post‑Covid as Bites Attributed to “Unknown” Breed Surged; Pit Bull Bites Stalled Yet Remain Overrepresented
A 97% surge in New York City dog bites attributed to "unknown" breeds post-2020 is obscuring key public health data trends, a phenomenon that emerged after two key city policy changes. Despite the data shift, pit bulls remain significantly overrepresented, accounting for 30.4% of all identified-breed bites over the 9-year period.
New York, NY, December 09, 2025 --(PR.com)-- DogsBite.org, a national dog bite victims' group, releases a special report analyzing 29,992 self‑reported dog bites collected by New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) from 2015–2023. The analysis examines trends before and after COVID (2018 vs. 2023), top‑biting dog breeds, and borough‑level dog bite injury rates. The addendum report illustrates a post‑COVID surge in the rate of national emergency department (ED) visits for dog bite injuries as well.*
View special report: Dog Bite Injury Trends in New York City Pre- and Post-Covid
Key findings include:
• Citywide, self-reported dog bites increased 14% from 2018 to 2023 after a sharp 28% drop during the 2020 peak COVID year.
• From 2015 to 2023, bites attributed to dogs of "unknown" breed increased 119%, yet the dramatic surge occurred post-COVID, a 97% rise, from 2020 to 2023.
• When breed was identified (76% of cases), pit bulls accounted for 30.4% of bites, surpassing the next closest breed category by more than three times.
• Staten Island consistently had the highest dog bite injury rate each year and over the 9-year period combined (56.89), and Brooklyn had the lowest (27.54).
• Male dogs accounted for 72% of bites when gender was known (51% of cases) with intact males more common among pit bulls (66%) than all other breeds combined (53%).
"Our analysis shines a light on three critical trends," said Colleen Lynn, founder of DogsBite.org. "The post‑COVID surge in bites by dogs of "unknown" breed now dominates New York City’s bite data and creates a major public‑health blind spot. At the same time, pit bulls remain significantly overrepresented among identified breeds, despite a long-term decline in the city. Finally, Staten Island's persistently high rate of dog bite injuries compared to other boroughs warrants attention."
To examine the upswing of bites by "unknown" breed, the report analyzed 629,173 dog license records from 2015 to 2023. Dogs licensed as "unknown" breed abruptly rose in 2016 and maintained a high level through 2020. The trend followed two key policy changes: a 2015 city law requiring rescues and pet shops to obtain dog licenses at the point of adoption or purchase, and the November 2017 "boroughbred" campaign that removed breed labels at New York City's largest shelter system.
The report also examines broader national patterns, finding that national ED visits for dog bite injuries rose 15% between 2018 and 2023. California and Florida showed even larger increases of 30% and 25% respectively. All showed a 2020 dip followed by record highs in 2023. A different pattern -- lacking a dip -- emerged in dog bite fatalities. From 2019 to 2023, fatal dog maulings doubled nationwide, according to CDC data. This rise increased to 165% from 2019 to 2024, the latest data available.
This report comes with five companion PDFs with charts and graphs.
1) Top‑Biting Dog Breeds Pre‑ and Post‑COVID - New York City (2018 vs. 2023)
2) Dog Bites by Breed, Gender and Reproductive Status - New York City (2015–2023)
3) Dog Bite Injury Rate by Borough, Breed and Year - New York City (2015–2023)
4) Dog Licensing vs. Bite Data After New York City Policy Changes (2015–2023)
5) Rate of U.S., California and Florida Dog Bite ED Visits Pre- and Post COVID (2005–2023)
About DogsBite.org
DogsBite.org is a national dog bite victims’ group dedicated to reducing serious dog attacks. Through our work, we hope to protect both people and pets from future attacks.
Media contact
DogsBite.org
Colleen Lynn
512‑650‑8510
https://www.dogsbite.org
*All data obtained from public sources: New York City dog bite and dog licensing data from DOHMH; U.S. rate of dog bite emergency department visits data from WISQARS; U.S. dog bite fatality data from CDC Wonder; California dog bite ED visits from California Health and Human Services; Florida rate of dog bite ED visits from Florida Department of Health; and New York City borough population data from U.S. Census Bureau.
View special report: Dog Bite Injury Trends in New York City Pre- and Post-Covid
Key findings include:
• Citywide, self-reported dog bites increased 14% from 2018 to 2023 after a sharp 28% drop during the 2020 peak COVID year.
• From 2015 to 2023, bites attributed to dogs of "unknown" breed increased 119%, yet the dramatic surge occurred post-COVID, a 97% rise, from 2020 to 2023.
• When breed was identified (76% of cases), pit bulls accounted for 30.4% of bites, surpassing the next closest breed category by more than three times.
• Staten Island consistently had the highest dog bite injury rate each year and over the 9-year period combined (56.89), and Brooklyn had the lowest (27.54).
• Male dogs accounted for 72% of bites when gender was known (51% of cases) with intact males more common among pit bulls (66%) than all other breeds combined (53%).
"Our analysis shines a light on three critical trends," said Colleen Lynn, founder of DogsBite.org. "The post‑COVID surge in bites by dogs of "unknown" breed now dominates New York City’s bite data and creates a major public‑health blind spot. At the same time, pit bulls remain significantly overrepresented among identified breeds, despite a long-term decline in the city. Finally, Staten Island's persistently high rate of dog bite injuries compared to other boroughs warrants attention."
To examine the upswing of bites by "unknown" breed, the report analyzed 629,173 dog license records from 2015 to 2023. Dogs licensed as "unknown" breed abruptly rose in 2016 and maintained a high level through 2020. The trend followed two key policy changes: a 2015 city law requiring rescues and pet shops to obtain dog licenses at the point of adoption or purchase, and the November 2017 "boroughbred" campaign that removed breed labels at New York City's largest shelter system.
The report also examines broader national patterns, finding that national ED visits for dog bite injuries rose 15% between 2018 and 2023. California and Florida showed even larger increases of 30% and 25% respectively. All showed a 2020 dip followed by record highs in 2023. A different pattern -- lacking a dip -- emerged in dog bite fatalities. From 2019 to 2023, fatal dog maulings doubled nationwide, according to CDC data. This rise increased to 165% from 2019 to 2024, the latest data available.
This report comes with five companion PDFs with charts and graphs.
1) Top‑Biting Dog Breeds Pre‑ and Post‑COVID - New York City (2018 vs. 2023)
2) Dog Bites by Breed, Gender and Reproductive Status - New York City (2015–2023)
3) Dog Bite Injury Rate by Borough, Breed and Year - New York City (2015–2023)
4) Dog Licensing vs. Bite Data After New York City Policy Changes (2015–2023)
5) Rate of U.S., California and Florida Dog Bite ED Visits Pre- and Post COVID (2005–2023)
About DogsBite.org
DogsBite.org is a national dog bite victims’ group dedicated to reducing serious dog attacks. Through our work, we hope to protect both people and pets from future attacks.
Media contact
DogsBite.org
Colleen Lynn
512‑650‑8510
https://www.dogsbite.org
*All data obtained from public sources: New York City dog bite and dog licensing data from DOHMH; U.S. rate of dog bite emergency department visits data from WISQARS; U.S. dog bite fatality data from CDC Wonder; California dog bite ED visits from California Health and Human Services; Florida rate of dog bite ED visits from Florida Department of Health; and New York City borough population data from U.S. Census Bureau.
Contact
DogsBite.org
Colleen Lynn
512-650-8510
https://www.dogsbite.org
Colleen Lynn
512-650-8510
https://www.dogsbite.org
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