Pets can be a good source of companionship to a child. If you have a pet, let your child be actively involved in its care. Even young children can learn responsibility for a pet and how to treat animals with love and respect. Almost all children love to handle and play with a puppy or a kitten. However, sometimes young children do not seem to be able to tell the difference between the cute little puppy you have at home, and the large stray dog that walks into your yard or the playground. This could mean trouble.

In the U.S.A., one report showed that there were 157 deaths due to dog bites from 1979 to 1988; 70% of these deaths were children under ten years of age.

Dog bites are a common injury to children; quite often it is the family’s dog or a dog that the child is familiar with that does the damage. Strange dogs have also bitten children when a child walked up to pat the dog. All too often when a child is attacked by a dog, it is in the facial area. Severe damage can be done in a split second. You must supervise small children around any dog.

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In Canada between April 1990 and April 1992, The Children’s Hospital Injury Research and Prevention Program (CHIRPP) reported 1,022 records of injuries from dog bites in children up to 19 years of age (Edmonton Board of Health, Childhood Injury Control Newsletter 1.1, 1989).

A large old dog, known in the neighborhood as a friendly dog, inexplicably bit a child at a school bus stop. This was very surprising to everybody because the dog had always been so friendly. The dog was put down and an autopsy was performed to determine if there was a reason why the dog turned on and bit the child. The autopsy had a surprising result. The skin of the dog had hundreds of needles stuck in it. Apparently children had been sticking needles into the dog for a period of time.

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From a very early age children should be instructed on how to handle themselves around dogs and cats. Here is some information you should teach your children:

• Many children have been bitten by their own dogs and cats. Additionally, cats can inflict deep and painful scratches with their claws.
• If you know the animal, stop, and let it come to you. Always be gentle in your voice, touch, and movement around the animal. If the animal doesn’t come to you, leave it alone.
• Never approach strange dogs or cats – even if the animal is on a leash. Keep close watch on children when dogs or cats are in the same vicinity. Avoid contact with free roaming animals.
• Teach your child about any dangerous neighborhood animals and avoid routes where dogs are known to chase pedestrians or cyclists.
• If a dog does approach your child, teach the child not to panic, but to stand still with hands at sides. Let the dog sniff and speak in a calm low voice to the animal. The dog will probably move away and the child can then also move away.
• Do not approach dogs or cats quickly; you may startle them and their natural response may be to run, or worse, to attack.
• If a dog starts to growl or show signs of aggression, back away. Do not run, or you may trigger the dog’s natural chase instinct. Do the same if a cat begins snarling, hissing, and arching its back.
• If children come across a dog in a yard and it is fenced in, do not let children stick their fingers or hands through the fence to pet the dog.
• Don’t pull on a cat or dog’s tail, ears, or neck – or physically harass the animal in any way. Teach children not to tease dogs or cats with sticks, food, or any other objects. Older children can be taught the fine line between teasing and playing with an animal, and learn the warning signs when playing turns into something more dangerous.
• If a child is bitten by a dog or cat, seek medical aid as soon as possible. Try to remember the circumstances of the attack, the description of the animal, and if possible, obtain the owner’s name and address. Later, when you speak to the owner, try to ascertain whether the animal is current in its rabies vaccinations. All of this information may be useful in treating the injuries.