This part stood out to me the most,
"most important is that dog bites are largely preventable. Through appropriate dog training and education of adults and children, these numbers could be dramatically reduced. That's why Dog Bite Prevention Week is so important, because it brings to attention this preventable medical problem."
The full article from the AVMA can be found below and originally from
here:
There are very few
public health crises that can truly be cured by public awareness and education
... but dog bites are one of them. There are 4. 7 million people bitten by dogs
every year, and this suffering, injury, disability and mortality is completely
unnecessary. It's up to people, not dogs, to stop dog bites.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has joined with the United
States Post Office (USPS) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in
sponsoring Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 18-24th, 2008, to help prevent dog
bites. Small children are the most common victims, followed by older people and
USPS employees.
"Every year approximately 800,000 Americans receive medical attention for
dog bites, and half of these victims are children, so this is a very serious
problem," says Dr. Gregory S. Hammer, AVMA president. "About a dozen
dog bite victims die every year. What's most important is that dog bites are
largely preventable. Through appropriate dog training and education of adults
and children, these numbers could be dramatically reduced. That's why Dog Bite
Prevention Week is so important, because it brings to attention this
preventable medical problem."
"The Postal ServiceTM continues its tradition of joining forces with the
AVMA to call attention to one of the nation's most commonly reported public
health problems: dog attacks and bites," says Patrick R. Donahoe, Deputy
postmaster General and Chief Operating Officer. "From nips and bites to
actual attacks, violent dog behavior continues to pose a serious threat to our
employees. Last year, more than 3,000 Postal Service employees were victimized
by dogs. We hope that by joining forces we can greatly reduce the risk to our
employees.
To help educate the public about dog bites, the AVMA has developed a brochure,
"What you should know about dog bite prevention," offering tips on
how to avoid being bitten, what dog owners can do to prevent their dogs from
biting and how to treat dog bites. For more information on National Dog Bite
Prevention Week and to access the brochure online, visit
here.
Important dog bite prevention tips include:
- Pick a dog that is good match for your home. Consult your veterinarian for
details about the behavior of different breeds.
- Socialize your pet. Gradually expose your puppy to a variety of people and
other animals so it feels at ease in these situations; continue this exposure
as your dog gets older.
- Train your dog. Commands can build a bond of obedience and trust between man
and dog. Avoid aggressive games like wrestling or tug-of-war with your dog.
- Vaccinate your dog against rabies and other diseases.
- Neuter or spay your dog. These dogs are less likely to bite.
- Teach your child to ask a dog owner for permission before petting any dog.
- Let a strange dog sniff you or your child before touching it, and pet it
gently, avoiding the face, head and tail.
- Never bother a dog if it is sleeping, eating or caring for puppies.
- Do not to run past a dog.
- If a dog threatens you, remain calm. Avoid eye contact. Stand still or back
away slowly until the dog leaves. If you are knocked down, curl into a ball and
protect your face with your arms and fists.
If bitten, request proof of rabies vaccination from the dog owner, get the
owner's name and contact information, and contact the dog's veterinarian to
check vaccination records. Then immediately consult with your doctor. Clean
bite wound with soup and water as soon as possible. If the attack victim is
bleeding from a dog bite, immediately take them to a doctor or emergency room.
For more information, please visit the AVMA web site at
http://www.avma.org. For a Dog
Bite Prevention Week pod cast, visit the AVMA's Media Library
here.
The AVMA and its more than 76,000 member veterinarians are engaged in a wide
variety of activities dedicated to advancing the science and art of animal,
human and public health. Visit the AVMA Web site at
http://www.avma.org for more
information.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care
pediatricians, pediatric medical sub specialists and pediatric surgical
specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children,
adolescents and young adults.
Since 1775, the U.S. Postal Service has connected friends, families, neighbors
and businesses by mail. An independent federal agency, the Postal Service makes
deliveries to more than 142 million addresses every day and is the only service
provider to deliver to every address in the nation. The Postal Service receives
no taxpayer dollars for routine operations but derives its operation revenues
solely from the sale of postage, products and services.
American Veterinary Medical
Association