The most recent data from the New York City Department of Heath and Mental Hygiene indicates that 3,452 New Yorkers reported being bitten by a dog in 2007 and 3,598 in 2008. Since many bites go unreported, the actual number of bites is probably higher in our city. Dog bites are more commonly reported in New York City than lead poisoning in children and reported dog bites are equal to the number of citywide HIV diagnoses for the same years. The Centers for Disease Control reports children ages 5-9 years have the highest rate of dog bite injuries. Most of these injuries occur to the head and neck region and boys are more likely to be bitten by dogs than girls.

Vigilant parents have their kids tested for lead poisoning and talk to their kids about the spread of HIV. Dog bite prevention should be added to the parenting to do list. Here are some suggestions to make this part of parenting easier:

• Supervise all interactions between babies/small children and dogs.
• Teach your children to avoid approaching a strange dog.
• Have children always request permission from the dog owner before petting any dog.
• Add a dog safety book to your home library. Two cute ones are: May I pet your dog? by Stephanie Calmenson and The Blue Dog Parent Guide and CD sponsored by the Blue Dog Trust (UK).
• Watch a free, child-friendly dog safety video together, such as "Play Nice With Dogs" from HealthyPet.com.

Following these guidelines can help keep your children and your dog safe. Join us on Saturday, June 5th at The AMC’s PAW Day 2010, a FREE pet health and wellness fair, and find out more about how to play it safe with your beloved pets. Several child appropriate activities will be available to reinforce dog safety. For additional information about this event, please contact Courtney Rabb at 212.329.8666 or courtney.rabb@amcny.org or visit amcny.gbtesting.us.

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For nearly a century, The Animal Medical Center has been a national leader in animal healthcare, known for its expertise, innovation and success in providing routine, specialty and emergency medical care for companion animals. Thanks in part to the enduring generosity of donors, The AMC is also known for its outstanding teaching, research and compassionate community funds. Please help us to continue these efforts. Send your contribution to: The Animal Medical Center, 510 East 62nd Street, New York, NY 10065. Visit amcny.gbtesting.us for more information.