Dogs are often referred to as being "man's best friend", in acknowledgement of their loyalty and faithfulness, as well as their willingness to protect. Yet a disturbing trend has started to emerge in the last few years, which may call into question the veracity of the saying. 

Since the early 2000s, an alarming number of people have been shot by dogs, and the numbers only seem to be increasing. The trend was first identified in 2015 by the Washington Post, which reported that six people in the US had been shot by their canine friends in the previous four years and four more in the six years prior to that.