Franklin family’s dogs taken by animal officer, placed with new owners

FRANKLIN, Maine — Last fall, the Warren family had two Golden Retrievers, Bella and Jake, that were considered integral members of a household which includes four young children.

Now the dogs have been placed with a new owner somewhere in New England after they took off from the Warrens’ yard in early November and failed to return.

Read More...

May 15-22 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week®

Did you know that ...

4.7 million people in this country are bitten by dogs every year
children are by far the most common victims
800,000 Americans receive medical attention for dog bites each year
children are far more likely to be severely injured; approximately 400,000 receive medical attention every year
most dog bites affecting young children occur during everyday activities and while interacting with familiar dogs
senior citizens are the second most common dog bite victims

There are a number of things that you can do to avoid dog bites, ranging from properly training and socializing your pet to educating your children on how, or if, they should approach a dog. Information is one of the best cures for this public health crisis.

What's a dog owner to do?

Carefully select your pet. Puppies should not be obtained on impulse.
Make sure your pet is socialized as a young puppy so it feels at ease around people and other animals.
Don't put your dog in a position where it feels threatened or teased.
Train your dog. The basic commands "sit," "stay," "no," and "come" help dogs understand what is expected of them and can be incorporated into fun activities that build a bond of trust between pets and people.
Walk and execrcise your dog regularly to keep it healthy and provide mental stimulation.
Avoid highly excitable games like wrestling or tug-of-war.
Use a leash in public to ensure you are able to control your dog.
Keep your dog healthy. Have your dog vaccinated against rabies and preventable infectious diseases. Parasite control and other health care are important because how your dog feels affects how it behaves.
Neuter your pet.
If you have a fenced yard, make sure the gates are secure.

How can you protect your family?

Be cautious around strange dogs, and treat your own pet with respect. Because children are the most common victims of dog bites, parents and caregivers should:
NEVER leave a baby or small child alone with a dog.
Be alert for potentially dangerous situations.
Teach their children – including toddlers – to be careful around pets. Children must learn not to approach strange dogs or try to pet dogs through fences. Teach children to ask permission from the dog's owner before petting the dog.

The following AVMA resources can help you learn more:

What you should know about dog bite prevention brochure
This informative brochure offers tips on how to avoid being bitten, as well as what to do if you are bitten by a dog. It also addresses what you need to do if your dog bites someone.

A community approach to dog bite prevention (PDF)
The American Veterinary Medical Association Task Force on Canine Aggression and Human-Canine Interactions has produced this report intended to help state and local leaders develop effective dog bite prevention programs in their communities.

The Blue Dog Parent Guide and CD
This innovative dog bite prevention program is designed to help parents and children safely interact with dogs both inside and outside their home. The program is geared toward children from 3 to 6 years old. It's the only dog bite educational tool scientifically proven to help young children learn behaviors that can keep them safe.

Bilingual Dog Bite Prevention activity/coloring book
Teach children about different ways to avoid dog bites, by educating them on how, or if, they should approach a dog. A creative tool for use all year, including during Dog Bite Prevention week in May.

Dog bite prevention channel on AVMA-TV
Informative videos designed to educate children are available on AVMA-TV.org. The list of webcast videos available include: Overview of Dog Bite Prevention, Ask Before You Pet a Dog, Don't Run Around Dogs, Respect a Dog's Territory, and Safety Tips for Dog Bite Prevention.

What you should know about rabies
Rabies is a deadly disease that is transmitted to people through a bite. It is transmitted through the rabid animal's saliva. Rabies vaccinations for dogs are an excellent defense against this disease, as many times families are exposed to rabies after an unvaccinated pet dog is bitten by a rabid wild animal. This brochure educates on how to prevent rabies.

Dog Bite Emergencies

If you are bitten by a dog, here is a checklist of things you should do:

If the dog's owner is present, request proof of rabies vaccination, and get the owner's name and contact information.
Clean bite wound with soap and water as soon as possible.
Consult your doctor immediately or go to the emergency room if it's after office hours.
Contact the dog's veterinarian to check vaccination records.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May 15-22 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week®
Victoria Stilwell joins veterinarians and mail carriers on prevention campaign

Schaumburg, IL

— The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) hosts this year's National Dog Bite Prevention Week® to help stop the nearly 5 million dog bites that happen every year. Internationally recognized dog trainer Victoria Stilwell, from Animal Planet's "It's Me or the Dog," joined AVMA veterinarians, the United States Postal Service (USPS), pediatricians, plastic surgeons and representatives of the insurance industry in offering tips to prevent dog bites.

At the Houston, Texas kick-off for 2011's National Dog Bite Prevention Week®, the USPS announced the top-10 cities in which letter carriers were attacked most often. Houston ranked number one out of 1,400 cities. More than 5,669 postal workers are attacked by dogs across the country.

"Veterinarians recognize, while there are 72 million good dogs in the United States, any dog can bite if it is frightened or feels threatened, even the family pet. Unfortunately, children are most often the victims," says Dr. Larry M. Kornegay, AVMA president.

A passionate advocate for science-based, force-free training methods, Victoria Stilwell joined the National Dog Bite Prevention® campaign to help support studies from board-certified veterinary behaviorists and behavioral scientists suggesting that forcing dogs into submission (e.g., leash yanking, rolling them on their backs) as a means of preventing and correcting behavioral problems, may have potentially dangerous consequences for owners. Because fear and anxiety are common causes of aggression, the use of dominance techniques and/or punishment can directly exacerbate the problem by increasing the animal's fear and anxiety.

"Dogs need and want us to provide effective leadership, but the most effective leaders do not simply impose their will on their followers," says Stilwell. "And I firmly believe the only way to truly ensure that we are successful in achieving the necessary balance with our dogs is by using positive reinforcement and treating them with the same respect that we ask of them. It's not the breed of the dog that causes the bite, but rather how well the dog is trained and controlled."

Injury rates are highest among children between the ages of 5 and 9 years old. The dogs biting these children are not strangers. In victims younger than 18 years old, the family dog inflicts 30 percent of all dog bites, and a neighbor's dog is responsible for another 50 percent of these bites.

"The AVMA urges all families to start early in educating children about safety around dogs, even if you don't own a dog," Dr. Kornegay says. "We have numerous engaging educational programs for children starting as young as preschool to teach children the right and the wrong way to interact with dogs."

Joining the AVMA and the USPS to spread the word that dog attacks are preventable are: the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) www.aap.org; the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) www.plasticsurgery.org; the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons (ASMS) www.maxface.org; the American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM) www.microsurg.org; Prevent The Bite, www.preventthebite.org; and the Insurance Information Institute, www.iii.org. To learn more about preventing dog bites, visit www.avma.org to view the AVMA brochure, community guidelines, podcast and video, and to learn more about The Blue Dog Parent Guide and CD, a scientifically validated educational program for preschoolers.

###

The AVMA, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest and largest veterinary medical organizations in the world. More than 81,500 member veterinarians worldwide are engaged in a wide variety of professional activities. The year 2011 is being celebrated by veterinarians around the world as Vet2011, the 205th anniversary of the birth of veterinary medicine and education.

AVMA Podcasts