Dogs and cats are a great source of companionship for older adults. In 2006, approximately 43 million US households owned dogs and approximately 37.5 million households owned cats. Now, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that, in the period from 2001 to 2006, an estimated 86,629 fall injuries each year were associated with cats and dogs. Their findings are published in the March 27, 2009 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The CDC analyzed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP) which collects information on initial visits for all injuries treated in the emergency departments of 66 hospitals in the United States. Nearly 88% of the pet-associated injuries were associated with dogs, and women were over 2 times as likely to be injured as men. Although injuries were most frequent among people aged 0-14 and 35-54, the highest fracture rates occurred among people aged 75 and older. Among the reported reasons for falls involving dogs, the most frequently-reported circumstances were falling or tripping over a dog and being pushed or pulled by a dog.

Dog and cat ownership is increasing in the United States, as is the aging population. These findings reinforce the importance of prevention strategies, such as increasing public awareness of pets and pet-related items as fall hazards and informing people of situations that can lead to fall injuries.