Dog bite reports in Philly are down after a pandemic spike, but victims face expenses and confusion
“What happened afterwards was like a second attack,” said Bria Collins. Collins and her Staffordshire bull terrier were attacked in North Philadelphia by a neighbor’s three unleashed dogs.
What Bria Collins thought would be a normal walk with her Staffordshire bull terrier Gretchen turned into an attack that forced her to relocate and put her family thousands of dollars in debt.
Collins, her fiancé, and Gretchen were strolling down their back alley in North Philadelphia’s Belfield section on Feb. 17, when an unleashed dog barreled out of a neighbor’s garage, followed by two more dogs.
As the trio attacked Gretchen, Collins, 34, threw her body toward the pack, putting her arm around one dog’s throat, trying to pry its jaw open. A video of their attack gathered outraged from social media viewers.
Collins was bitten on her finger and arm. Three-year-old Gretchen had four deep puncture wounds on her face and bites and lacerations all over her body.
Collins’ encounter was one of thousands of dog attacks reported in Philadelphia in the last few years — a number that surged after a boom in pet ownership during the pandemic, but has been declining more recently. Despite the drop, victims say they can still face trauma, expenses, and confusion in the aftermath of an attack.
Are reports of dog bites decreasing?
Reports of dog bites in Philadelphia spiked in 2022 and 2023, when more than 2,500 were recorded each year, according to police data, which do not include dog attacks that weren’t reported or didn’t result in a bite. While reports declined to 1,219 in 2024 and 217 last year, they remained above the number from 2020, when 206 cases were recorded.
This is not just a Philadelphia problem. One U.K. study in the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery found that dog bites increased a 47% after lockdowns ended.
During the pandemic, “there was very little activity, you didn’t run into very many dogs or neighbors out and about,” said Lena Provoost, a clinical small animal behavior and welfare specialist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. “Once people started becoming more comfortable, now there is a lot more triggers.”
For ACCT Philly executive director Sarah Barnett, the declining numbers might not mean that fewer attacks are happening, but rather that fewer people are reporting them.
More than once, ACCT has visited a home following a dog bite to discover the pup wasn’t a first-time offender, yet no bites had been reported, Barnett said.
Some people perceive reporting as causing trouble, she said, but “you have to report something in order to make something happen.”
The reporting process, however, can be complex and confusing, Barnett acknowledged. It can involve navigating bureaucracy and, in some cases, uncomfortable encounters with neighbors.
Collins experienced that firsthand.
“What happened afterwards was like a second attack,” Collins said.
In many cases, aggression “is a distance increase request” from a dog, according to PennVet's Lena Provoost. It’s important to keep an eye out for warning signs, because gestures can be subtle. They include behaviors like:
- Stiffening
- Steering
- A change in posture
- A change in focus
- Growling
- Snarling
- Launching
- Snapping
- Biting
Reporting a dog attack
After the attack, Collins called 911. Police arrived promptly for a short stay, she said. The couple then headed to the emergency room for both Gretchen and Collins.
With their wounds patched up but still shaken, Collins asked for a copy of her report. It was missing information about the dogs and the attack, she said. She filed a new report and included video from her Ring camera.
Thinking about her older neighbors, the kids on her block, and her family, she was set on getting the dogs classified as dangerous dogs, a designation that can result in charges or a citation for the owner.
According to police directives, that requires:
An attack without provocation
A death or severe injury inflicted off the owner’s property
The dog being used in a crime
The dog having a history of attacking without provocation
Even after a report is in place, getting an attacking dog classified as a dangerous dog requires a judge, Barnett said.
ACCT Philly can’t file charges, but can issue violations in cases where the owner can’t prove the dog was licensed or had a rabies vaccine.
Stoping a dog bite when one is already occuring can be difficult, so Provoost recomends trying to prevent them. That's not because a victim should be responsible, but rather to empower owners with steps they can take to protect their pups, such as:
- Walking in well-known areas
- Carrying extra treats to offer as a distraction. If a dog is aggressive or tries to attack, throwing them the treats can provide a distraction and time to escape
- Assessing the risks: If an unknown large dog is trying to approach, consider if socializing is appropriate
A lengthy and confusing process
But the process is not as straightforward as it seems on paper, and can involve dealing with multiple agencies over weeks or months.
“The process is in place so that it also protects dog owners, because there are cases where things are not as cut and dry,” Barnett said.
If the dog is deemed dangerous, the owners can keep it, but have 30 days to follow requirements such as muzzling the pet in public, hanging “dangerous dog” signs, or putting a special tag on the dog.
Collins’ neighbor did receive a citation in March, Collins said, though his dogs continued to be let out without leashes or collars.
“The process was more to the benefit of the owner. Their inaction empowered them to further harass us,” Collins said.
With tension increasing and the process slow, Collins, her fiancé, and Gretchen moved across the city, using what they were saving for a house down payment, money raised from a GoFundMe page, and going into debt.
“What I think is problematic is that the process isn’t clear to people,” Barnett said. “There is not one person who is communicating with the victim through this process. Because we have different agents responsible for different aspects, we will communicate about what we can, but it is not easy.”
Brian Lovenduski also experienced this.
In December, he was walking his miniature pinscher Ziggy in Center City when they were attacked by a pit bull, who was believed to have carried out at least one prior attack.
Lovenduski was bitten on the hand, and Ziggy lost a leg.
In his case, the dog was seized from the owner for unrelated charges.
“It’s frustrating because there is a lot of different people involved and there was no one point person to relay information,” Lovenduski said. “There should be laws to protect owners, but also laws to protect victims.”
He is still paying Ziggy‘s $20,000 vet bill.
According to Met Life pet insurance, costs for an emergency vet appointment vary, but wound treatment alone ranges from $800 to $2,500, and emergency surgery can cost as much as $5,000, plus fees for hospitalizations, X-rays, and other procedures.
For Collins, between the rent, security deposit, and ongoing medical and vet bills, she said she has spent over $8,000 in two months.
Collins needs physical therapy for her finger, and Gretchen will need extensive training to recover.
“Gretchen has trouble going outside,” Collins said. “At first, she couldn’t go outside without shaking or peeing on herself. It was just bad.”
Rehabilitation is possible
For Provoost, rehabilitating a dog that was attacked can be difficult, but not impossible.
“Some dogs remember and become reactive towards other dogs,” Provoost said. “They are trying to keep all dogs away from them. They are afraid.”
To ease injured pets into recovery, she recommends avoiding some situations that make them uncomfortable. A behavioral specialist can help with desensitization and conditioning protocols.
With help from Lovenduski and his veterinary team, Ziggy has been able to thrive.
“Ziggy, minus a leg, is doing great, he is just like his old self, but he can’t jump anymore,” Lovenduski said.
Regardless, he can’t help but wonder if the attack could have been avoided with better communication.
“It was frustrating and horrible because this dog had already bit other dogs and nobody had alerted anything,” Lovenduski said. “If I had known, I could have been better prepared when it actually happened or I could have avoided the area.”
So despite the complexity of the process, Barnett still recommends contacting police or ACCT.
“It’s better safe than sorry. If the dog bites someone, even if you think it is not a severe one, still call us and make us aware of it,” Barnett said.
