RAISE YOUR AWARENESS DURING NATIONAL DOG BITE PREVENTION WEEK
MAY 20-26 Dog Bite Prevention Week
According to a survey conducted by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs annually, with 800,000 individuals—half of them children—requiring medical treatment. To help raise awareness of the issue, a resolution was introduced in Congress on Monday that recognizes National Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 20-26, 2007, and calls on communities to find local solutions to address the problem.
-Children should not approach, touch or play with any dog who is sleeping, eating or caring for puppies.
-Children should not pet unfamiliar dogs without asking permission from the dog’s guardian first. If the guardian says it is okay, the child should first let the dog sniff his closed hand.
-If a child sees a dog off-leash outside, he should tell an adult immediately.
-If a loose dog comes near a child, she should not run or scream. Instead, she should avoid eye contact with the animal and stand very still, like a tree, until the animal moves away.
For more information, please visit ASPCA.org, where you can download our Dog Bite Prevention activity worksheet.