Tail Talk

May 18-24 is National Dog Bite Awareness week.  The National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs annually.  Of that 4.7 million approximately 800,000 require medical attention, and half of them are children.   A resolution was introduced in Congress to help raise awareness of the problem by recognizing May 18-24, 2008 as National Dog Bite Awareness Week, calling on local communities to find solutions to address this ever present problem.  The ASPCA has joined the effort to help educate children by teaching parents basic safety around dogs.  The ASPCA recommends:

• Children should not approach, touch or play with any dog who is sleeping, eating or caring for puppies.
• Children should not pet unfamiliar dogs without asking permission from the dog’s guardian first. If the guardian says it is okay, the child should first let the dog sniff his closed hand.
• If a child sees a dog off-leash outside, he should tell an adult immediately.
• If a loose dog comes near a child, she should not run or scream. Instead, she should avoid eye contact with the animal and stand very still, like a tree, until the animal moves away.

For more information you can visit their website, www.ASPCA.org.  There you will find a list of pledges you can recite with your child to teach them how to properly interact with dogs.  Most dog bites are from a dog known to the child, so it’s critical to teach our children the difference between safe and dangerous interactions our animals.

If you’re looking for something different to do this weekend, the Randolph County Humane Society’s 2^nd Annual Wine Event at Lau-Nae Winery, 5:30-9:30 on May 24^th promises to be a fun filled night that benefits a great organization.  Tickets are $10 per person and available at the door.  We hope to see you there!