On one hand, dogs need to become friendly and well adjusted members of society. Children too need to learn how to be your dog's best friend. Parents need to stay involved through supervision and by remaining educated.
At Meeting Milo, we are parents, and we are dog industry professionals. Our goal is to keep children safe and to assist you in creating a welcome canine family member. Your child learns how to behave around dogs and avoid common bite situations. Regardless if you own a dog or not - your child will benefit from Meeting Milo. As your child visits friends and relatives, the simple rules wrapped in a delightful story will be there to act as a guiding principle.
Children and dogs can make wonderful friends to one another, and we encourage you to take steps to make it happen in your home. Just as you teach children to, "Look both ways before crossing the road," and use a booster seat in the car, dog bite prevention is a critical step in keeping children safe
Bite Statistics
Currently, there are no official statistics or accurate means of reflecting the incidents of dog bites in Canada. The following numbers and charts focuses primarily on dog bites to children, and is taken from multiple sources including the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the CSA here in Canada. The numbers have been separated into fatal dog bites versus bites that did not result in death. Although fatalities gain the majority of media attention, they represent a minor component of all dog bites in total.
If anything, the numbers do indicate that (1) dog bites are a severe problem and (2) the problem is complicated. There are social components that can't be solved quickly. One thing is certain, education is recommended by many experts - as a long term solution to the problem.
In 1994, the most recent year for which published data is available, an estimated 4.7 million dog bites occurred in the United States, and approximately 799, 700 persons required medical care.
Sample data from NEISS-AIP, data drawn from a nationally subsample of 66 out of 100 NEISS hospitals.
In 2001, with approximately 42 % dog bites occurred among children aged 14 and under. Taken from analyzed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.
In children 4 and under, the majority (64.9%) of injuries were to the head/neck region.
Narrative to the study indicates that a girl, aged 18 months was attacked by the family dog in the backyard and sustained an open depressed skull fracture, mandible fractures, and avulsion of an ear and part of a cheek. A boy aged, 4 was bitten on the lip by a dog that was guarding her pups, and a girl aged 3 years who was bitten on the face when trying to take food away from the family dog.
Editorial Notes to the study:
"Narrative comments from medical records describing dog bite events underscore the importance of prevention messages."
"Because children have higher rates of dog bites, prevention programs often are targeted to this group. Although boys aged 14 and under have higher rates than girls the same age, all children need to be taught how to respond to dogs."
"In addition…prevention efforts should encourage responsible dog ownership, including training, socializing, and neutering family pets."
"The majority (80%) of dog bites incurred by persons 18 years of age or less are inflicted by a family dog (30%) or a neighbor's dog (50%).It is estimated that 17% of dog bite-related injuries are treated in medical facilities, of which 38% are seen in hospital Eds. Second, injury diagnoses were not specified for 26% of cases. Third, limited data are available on the circumstances of the event or the dog involved."
This indicates that the actual numbers of dog bites are much higher.
Canada Safety Council
Canada has no national data on canine population, dog-related deaths and injuries, or which breeds cause the most harm. In Canada, much of the insurance-related liability is borne by our health care system. Yet there is no mandatory reporting of these bites - not to mention the dogs' ownership, breed, spay/neuter status or history of aggression.
The coroner's report on a six-year old girl killed by dogs in 1999 found that 117,000 Quebeckers claimed to have been bitten by a dog between 1997 and 1998. Of these, 75 per cent were under the age of 10, and half were bitten by their own dogs. Extrapolating these numbers, the Canada Safety council estimates that dogs bite 460, 000 Canadians annually. Our problem is likely almost as serious as that of our southern neighbor.
A 1996 study by the Candian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP) focused primarily on children. Out of 385 patients, almost 2/3 (64.7%) were under 10.
Most dog bite victims are children. In many cases, teasing or unintentionally provoking an aggressive reaction from a dog leads to a bite, but occasionally an attack is unprovoked. That is why small children should never be left alone with a dog. Whether or not there is a dog in the family, parents need to teach their children how to behave around dogs.
Dogs trained or bred to be vicious are often owned by drug dealers, criminal groups, and violent or irresponsible individuals who wish to intimidate others. These dogs- and their owners - present a serious threat to community safety.
Dog Bite Law
Dog bites are on the rise: Although the number of dogs in the United States increased by only 2% between 1986 and 1996, the number of dog bite injuries requiring medical treatment rose by 37%. (Weiss HB, Friedman DE, Coben JH. "Incidence of dog bite injuries treated in emergency departments.")
When a child less than 4 years old is the victim, the family dog was the attacker half the time (47%) and the attack almost always happened in the family home (90%).
Dog bites account for more emergency room visits annually than playground accidents (333, 687 compared to 268, 810). Journal of the American Medical Association.
Fatalities
Waddell Inquiry, based on the fatal bite to four-year-old James Waddell recommended that special emphasis on issues addressing supervision and vigilance of pre-school children around dogs. They also recommended the establishment of the James Ronald Waddell memorial for pet awareness and education, and the committee supported animal awareness education for parents and children. (Taken from article New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, Aaron Kennedy)
During 1997 and 1998 at least 27 people died of dog bite attack. At least 25 breeds of dogs have been involved…Of these 27, 19 (70%) were children (1 was less than 30 days old…)
"Fatal bites constitute less than 0.00001% of all dog bites annually, and fatal bites have remained relatively constant over time, whereas nonfatal bites have been increasing, and fatal bites are rare…we believe that fatal bites should not be the primary factor driving public policy regarding dog bite prevention." (Vet Med Today: Special Report. JAVMA, Vol 217, No. 6, Sep 15, 2000)
Dog breeds responsible for human fatalities have varied over time. Since 1975, dogs belonging to more than 30 breeds have been responsible for fatal attacks on people, including Dachshunds, a Yorkshire Terrier, and a Labrador Retriever. (Vet Med Today: Special Report. JAVMA, Vol 217, No. 6, Sep 15, 2000)
Our reading of the fatal bite reports indicates that problem behaviors (of dogs and owners) have preceded attacks in a great many cases and should be sufficient evidence for preemptive action. (Vet Med Today: Special Report. JAVMA, Vol 217, No. 6, Sep 15, 2000)
Breed Banning - Could it Work?
"Even dogs that don't start out that way (aggressive) can be turned aggressive through harsh training procedures…techniques including isolation, sleep and food deprivation, shock, and the use of cattle prods and collars with spike inside. It makes for a very unpredicatable dog…" CTV "Bred to Bite"
According to statistics kept by city of Boulder Animal Care and Control, "labs" - as they are so innocently called - were responsible for an astonishing 18.9 percent of the 748 dog bites in the city from 1997 to 2003, more than twice as many as the next highest breed (German shepherds, at 8.5 %) (Clay Evan - Should Labrador's Be Banned?)
In October 2000 a Pomeranian killed the family's 6-week-old baby. The average weight of a Pomeranian is about 4 pounds, and are not thought of as a dangerous breed. The baby's uncle left the infant and the dog on a bed while the uncle prepared her bottle in the kitchen. Upon his return, the dog was mauling the baby, who died shortly afterwards. (Baby Girl Killed by Family Dog," Los Angelas Times, Monday, October 9, 2000)
The odds that the victim of a fatal dog attack will be a burglar are one in 177, the odds that it will be a child are 7 in 10.
In the Netherlands, the breeds responsible for the most bites were Rottweiler (20%) and Golden and Labrador Retriever (15%). CHIRPP ranked the most common breeds causing a bite injury as German Shepherds, Cocker Spaniels, Rottweilers and Golden Retrievers.
Authorities should beware that breed bans may provoke people who want aggressive dogs to seek out other breeds and breed or train them to become vicious. After France passed legislation against certain breeds, Barbary apes were smuggled into the country to act as watchdogs. The apes have strong limbs, sharp teeth and short tempers; they attack humans on the head.
Posted on SHARE Yahoo group Nov. 20, 2005