Welcome to National Dog Bite Prevention Week®! Don’t miss out on the AVMA’s free tools to help you educate clients and community members about dog bites this week and throughout the year.
There are nearly 90 million dogs in the United States, and any dog can bite—any size, any shape, any breed. National Dog Bite Prevention Week® focuses attention on ways to avoid risky situations and reduce the risk of bites happening. Head over to avma.org/DogBitePrevention for a wealth of shareable information, plus ready-to-use social media tools for veterinary clinics, and use the #PreventDogBites hashtag to help spread the word throughout the week.
Here are five important messages to pass along:
- Any dog can bite; understand the risk. Dogs bite for many reasons: They may be scared or startled, in pain, feeling threatened, or protecting something valuable, like puppies, food, or toys. The good news is that most bites are preventable if we take proper precautions.
- Training and socialization are critical. Pet owners play a crucial role in preventing dog bites by raising well-behaved, well-socialized dogs. Proper training and socialization can keep dogs calm, comfortable, and under control in any situation. Find socialization tips as well as scientific information about socialization on the Socialization of Dogs and Cats page.
- Breed-specific laws don’t stop dog bites. Effective dog bite prevention requires smart public policy, not knee-jerk breed bans. Breed-specific legislation may sound like a solution, but they are an overly simplistic and ineffective approach. Here’s why.
- How we interact with dogs matters. Preventing dog bites isn’t only the responsibility of dog owners. It’s also about how the rest of us approach and interact with dogs. Some essential guidelines:
—Ask before you pet.
—Don’t startle or tease.
—Stay calm around unfamiliar dogs.
—Supervise children when around dogs, and teach respect. - Dog bite prevention is a community effort. Everyone—pet owners, parents, educators, and policymakers—can help spread awareness year-round and make a real difference.
Spread the word
Are you ready to join in? Start by sharing the Dog Bite Prevention webpage, full of practical tips and information about bite prevention, including a downloadable version of the infographic you see here. If you’re an AVMA member, you won’t want to miss out on our veterinary clinic toolkit, with downloadable client handouts, social media resources, and more.
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