I ran across some interesting dog bite statistics earlier this week. The information is indirectly related to ferrets, since biting is often brought up as a reason for banning ferrets. According to an article in the Rochester [NY] Democrat and Chronicle, attributed in turn to the Los Angeles Times, about 2% of the population is bitten by dogs *each year*. About 26% of dog bites in children require medical attention, and 18 people die from dog bites each year, 60% of them children under 10. Last year, State Farm paid out $70 million for liability claims for dog bites, and $3 million for claims for all other animal injuries combined. And *ferrets* are a threat to public health? (I have nothing against dogs. Why do so many people have something against ferrets?) -- - Pam Greene Ferret Central <http://www.optics.rochester.edu:8080/users/pgreene/> or ftp://ftp.optics.rochester.edu/pub/pgreene/ or send INDEX FERRET in email to <[log in to unmask]> [Posted in FML issue 1906]