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National & State Agencies Partner in Support of Dog Bite Prevention Week
May 2, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE National and State Agencies Partner in Support of Dog Bite Prevention Week May 21st – 27th (Fort Myers, FL) May 2, 2006 –"Public education plays an important role in reducing the risk of dog bites, particularly with children" says Dr. Carina Blackmore, Florida's State Public Health Veterinarian. "Responsible dog ownership, along with teaching children how to act around dogs, is a proven way to prevent dog bites." To raise awareness about preventing dog bite injuries in Florida, the Florida Department of Health, the Florida Animal Control Association, and the Florida Veterinary Medical Association are joining together with the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Humane Society of the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Postal Service to promote May 21-27 as National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Annually more than four million Americans, approximately half of them children, suffer dog bite injuries. Many of these injuries are from dogs they know and interact with regularly. Injury rates are highest among children between the ages of five and nine years old, with boys being bitten more often than girls in the same age group. The number of dog bite injuries increases the months of April through September with the peak occurring in July. According to the CDC, as many as 800,000 people require medical attention for dog bites each year. Of those, 368,000 are treated in hospital emergency departments and about a dozen die each year from dog bite injuries. For local dog bite information plus tips for dog owners visit Lee County Animal Services website at www.LeeLostPets.com. Additional resources are also available on the following sites: www.doh.state.fl.us ; www.fvma.com ; www.hsus.org ; or www.floridaanimalcontrol.org. |