Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control shares safety tips during Dog Prevention Week.
FWACC Shares Safety Tips During Dog Bite Prevention Week
Fort Wayne, Indiana (April 12, 2021) – Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control is kicking off Dog Bite Prevention Week by sharing tips to help keep citizens and their pets safe from dog bites.
As the investigating agency in Allen County, Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control has already received 326 bite reports in 2021. As the weather turns warmer and more people are starting to spend more time outside, the number of bites is increasing. During just one week of March when temperatures were in the 60s and 70s, 60 bites were reported to FWACC.
Dog bites to children can be extremely devastating and are most commonly to the face. Nationally, 77% of all dog bites to children are from their own family dog or a friend’s dog and are almost always preventable. Children are eye-level, don’t have as good of self-control around dogs and often can’t read the warning signs that a dog is uncomfortable and might bite. It’s especially important to always supervise interactions between children and dogs. You should always put the dog in its crate or another room if you cannot supervise their interaction. Never let your child hug, kiss, sit on, pull their tail or ears, or tease your dog. Never let your child be near your dog while it’s eating. Set clear boundaries and a good example – children watch how we interact with dogs!
Throughout the week of April 12th, FWACC will be sharing more tips, helpful videos and resources to help citizens understand why dogs bite and what they can do to stay safe on Facebook and Twitter.
You can prevent bites by:
- Never hitting your dog
- Keeping your dog on a leash at all times when you’re on a walk
- Understanding basic dog body language
- Carry an umbrella and/or pet deterrent while walking your dog, jogging or riding your bicycle
- Put your dog in another room when answering your door/accepting a delivery
- If your dog is reactive to other people/pets walking by your home keep your windows and doors closed, dogs can easily get through screen windows/doors
- Separate your dogs during meal time
- Never force your dog to meet another dog
- Spaying/neutering your dog can reduce the likelihood of bites
- Work with a professional dog trainer to better understand your dog and only use all-positive methods
All bites to people and other animals need to be reported to Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control. The biting dog will be required to complete a 10 day quarantine at home or at the shelter. To report bites call 427-1244 option 1.
To see a graphic about dog body language and warning signs they may bite as well as more safety tips visit fwacc.org. It’s important to remember that ANY dog can bite.
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