NATIONAL DOG BITE PREVENTION WEEK!
The American Veterinary Medical Association has joined
with the U.S. Postal Service, the American Academy of Pediatrics,
American Society for Plastic Surgeons, The American Society for
Reconstructive Microsurgery, and The American Society of Maxillofacial
Surgeons to celebrate National Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 17-23,
2009. Children are the most common victims of dog bites.
There are 4 million dog bites each year and 60% of the
victims are children. Dr. Leslie Sinclair of the Humane Society of the
U.S. says children often don't respect a dog's boundaries—they
expect every dog to be friendly, and although most are some aren't. Dr.
Tillman Jolly, an emergency room physician says he sees injuries every
year because children often do things that they don't realize are
annoying to dogs. The Insurance Information Institute cautions that
parents should teach their children not to approach an unknown dog.
Allow dogs to sniff you before petting them, never disturb a dog that's
eating, sleeping or caring for puppies, don't try to run from a dog, and
if one is chasing you, stand like a tree or look like a log. Insurance
companies paid out $3.5 billion in claims in 2006 for dog bite claims.
Click below for a video on how children can avoid dog
bites:
