Is Man's Best Friend Michigan's Most Dangerous Animal?

Numerous articles dive into the debate over which animal holds the title of the most dangerous in Michigan. While it's challenging to determine definitively, the idea that man's best friend might top the list is indeed surprising.

Last month we told you that the most dangerous animal in Michigan is the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake. It is the only venomous snake species found in the state. yeah, that sounds dangerous to me. There could also be claims made about cougars, bears, or even deer.

When I recently stumbled upon an article that claims dogs are Michigan's most dangerous animal, I had to dig deep to understand why.

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Explored Planet put out an article that shows the most dangerous animal in each state. They claim the study was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, they made no mention of how the study was conducted or how they concluded that dogs are Michigan's most dangerous animal.

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What Did The Article Say About Dogs?

After showing the results from other states, they finally got to Michigan where they showed an image of a dog and a caption that read:

The animal most likely to end the life of a human in Michigan is a dog. For example, a young girl in Michigan had to get airlifted to the hospital after a couple of her rescue dogs attacked her at home. The dogs who attack often come from a troubled past.

Seriously, that's it? They shared no other information on their methodology or anything. If they had added some statistics on dog attacks or something, then maybe I could get on board with this find.

I'm not saying the article is wrong, I'm just saying that I have a hard time believing man's best friend is the most dangerous animal in Michigan.

I think I'll stick with my original claim that the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake is the most dangerous animal in Michigan.

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Gallery Credit: Rachel Cavanaugh