{"id":41,"date":"2012-05-24T21:43:33","date_gmt":"2012-05-24T21:43:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/?p=41"},"modified":"2018-07-26T16:38:39","modified_gmt":"2018-07-26T20:38:39","slug":"its-national-dog-bite-prevention-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/its-national-dog-bite-prevention-week\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s National Dog Bite Prevention Week"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Dog<\/a>This week, May 20-26, is\u00a0National Dog Bite Prevention week<\/a>, an event hosted by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) to help educate the public about the nearly 5 million dog bites that occur every year and how they can be prevented.<\/p>\n

According to the AVMA 4.7 million people in the US are bitten by dogs each year, and over 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for those bites. Of those, about half are children, with the most at-risk age group being 5-9. Most of these bites occur during every day activities while these children are interacting with familiar dogs. Senior citizens are the second most commonly affected group.<\/p>\n

The thing about dog bites is that many, if not most, are preventable. The AVMA has created a\u00a0great public\u00a0health bulletin<\/a>\u00a0with great tips and resources for people.<\/p>\n

Because children are most at risk for bites you should never (ever, ever, ever!) leave a small child alone with a dog. Even if your dog is the world\u2019s biggest softy, it\u2019s never a good idea to leave him unattended with a child. Most dog bites happen while dogs and children are left alone together, even if it\u2019s only for a few minutes.<\/p>\n

It is always important to remember that\u00a0any<\/em>\u00a0dog can bite; even the most friendly and well-trained – especially if they are injured or fearful. Proper training and socialization of puppies and dogs is crucial to avoiding dog bites.<\/p>\n

According to veterinary behaviorist Sophia Yin DVM MS<\/a>, “The consensus among animal behavior professionals is that the major cause of dog bites to humans is related to failure of owners and dog bite victims to recognize when dogs are fearful and know how to approach and greet dogs appropriately.”<\/p>\n

When approaching a dog, children (and adults) should use the acronym \u201cWAIT\u201d to remind themselves of proper doggie etiquette:<\/p>\n