May 18-24 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week
May 19th, 2008 by omidog
When you think of a mailman, you may also lightheartedly think of the comedic, cliche mental image of a mailman being chased by a dog. Believe it or not, it’s more of a reality than you may think. I suppose I have first-hand knowledge since my father has been a mailman since before I was born. Thankfully, I could count on one hand the number of times he’s been bitten while on his mail route, but the fact that I can count any at all means that it’s happened, and that’s what this entry is about.
While at the post office last week, I saw a poster on the wall advertising National Dog Bite Prevention Week. This public service program helps to educate the public about how to prevent situations where you could be bitten by a dog, and what action to take if you’ve been bitten. According to humane society studies, small children are the most at risk for dog bites, followed by the elderly, and then mailmen. It’s reasonable to understand why - the first two will have trouble escaping from a charging dog, and the third, well… must be somethin’ about that uniform. Joking aside, though, it’s a very serious problem, and one that sends 5% of all patients to the emergency room. Thankfully, this is completely preventable with increased dog guardian responsibility and proper training.
Some dogs are very territorial, and it’s only logical that they will want to protect their turf, no matter how nice that mailman really is. It’s up to the guardian of the animal to make sure that if they haven’t trained the animal to obey commands to stay inside or back off from a stranger, that they have proper measures in place to make sure the dog is never in a position to attack. The Postal Service says their motto for this campaign is “Stay alert: Don’t be fooled by ‘My Dog Won’t Bite!’” It’s good to be on the alert with a strange dog even if it seems friendly. It’s also important to remember that you can’t assume or predict that a certain breed of dog will be more likely to bite you. Many people shy away from pitbulls and rottweilers because of their stereotypically protective nature, but it is entirely possible for a typically docile dog such as a labrador retriever to attack if the dog has been trained improperly or suffered abuse.
The Humane Society has provided an online resource for staying dog bite free this week and every week. Spread the word in your community to help prevent unwarranted injury and keep everyone, including dogs, happy and healthy.