Forget sharks, bears and other terrifying creatures. One of America’s most threatening animals could be curled up on your couch.
An estimated 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs every year, with a dog-bite victim ending up in an emergency room every 80 seconds, the CDC estimates.
Now, a new study has revealed where US residents face the greatest risk of a dog bite-related insurance claim.
The Empire State placed 9th in the ratings with 1,308 claims in 2025, with 1 in 15,189 odds of getting chomped on by Fido, according to research by Gamble Mind.
Across the Big Apple, reported dog bites jumped nearly 25% in a single year, soaring from 4,041 in 2024 to 5,049 in 2025.
Staten Island is the city’s dog-bite hotspot, with residents facing the highest reported bite rate of any borough. The borough recorded 395 reported bites in 2025, equivalent to roughly one bite for every 1,261 residents.
Manhattan and Queens tied for the most reported bites, with 1,192 each. But Manhattan’s smaller residential population meant its rate was considerably higher, at one in 1,393 residents, compared with one in 1,944 in Queens.
Brooklyn emerged as the borough with the lowest bite rate, despite recording 1,126 incidents, with approximately one bite for every 2,325 residents.
In the bigger picture, Michigan takes the crown, with resident facing annual odds of one in 7,073 of being involved in a dog bite insurance claim, according to the study.
The Wolverine state recorded 1,432 claims in 2025, putting its populated-adjusted claim rate a whopping 69% above the national average and more than three times that of Texas.
Just last March, a 5-day-old baby girl was mauled to death when she was left alone with a dog the family had just taken in.
Indiana came in second with 824 claims and odds of one in 8,463, followed by Ohio, which recorded 1,348 claims and odds of one in 8,828, narrowly ahead of Pennsylvania, where odds of getting bit by a dog are one in 9,864, with 1,324 claims filed.
Illinois, which had 1,283 claims and odds of one in 9,914.
Florida placed sixth with 2,347 claims — a relatively high total — but its larger population brought the odds down to one in 9,958.
New Jersey landed seventh with 818 claims and odds of one in 11,673.
California actually recorded the most claims of any state on the list, a staggering 2,830, but its enormous population pushed it down to eighth place, with odds of one in 13,933.
Texas placed in 10th spot with 1,313 insurance claims and a one in 23,832 chance of suffering a teeth-gnashing from a pooch.
