Dog bite safety tips offered

4.7 million Americans bit every year

NEW YORK N.Y. — The Centers for Disease Control reports approximately 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs annually. Last year, 3,149 postal letter carriers were bitten. The alarming statistic is actually the fact that two million children are attacked by dogs every year; making youngsters hundreds of times more likely to be bitten than letter carriers. In the interest of employee and pubic safety, postal officials are reaching out to the communities again this year to offer dog bite prevention tips.

In the New York metropolitan area dogs attacked and bit 237 letter carriers in 2007. That’s an increase of 30 dog attacks from the previous year. Experts agree that these simple reminders and helpful tips can reduce the hazard of dog-bite attacks:

How to Avoid Being Bitten

• Don’t run past a dog. The dog’s natural instinct is to chase and catch prey.
• If a dog threatens you, don’t scream. Avoid eye contact. Try to remain motionless until the dog leaves, then back away slowly until the dog is out of sight.
• Don’t approach a strange dog, especially one that’s tethered or confined.
• While letter carriers are discouraged from petting animals, people who choose to pet dogs should always let a dog see and sniff them before petting the animal.
• If you believe a dog is about to attack you, try to place something between yourself and the dog, such as a backpack or a bicycle.

How to Be a Responsible Dog Owner

• Obedience training can teach dogs proper behavior and help owners control their dog in any situation.
• When a letter carrier comes to your home, keep your dog inside, away from the door, in another room, or on a leash.
• Don’t let your child take mail from the letter carrier in the presence of your dog. Your dog’s instinct is to protect the family.
• Spay or neuter your dog. Neutered dogs are less likely to bite. HSUS statistics reflect that dogs that have not been spayed or neutered are up to three times more likely to be involved in a biting incident than neutered or spayed dogs.
• Dogs that haven’t been properly socialized, receive little attention or handling, or are left tied up for long periods of time frequently turn into biters.

Additional dog bite prevention information is available through the American Academy of Pediatrics at www.aap.org, the American Veterinary Medical Association at www.avma.org, The Humane Society of the United States at www.hsus.org, and the Prevent the Bite program at www.preventthebite.org