Get Educated on How to Prevent Dog Bites

Last year, nearly 5 million people were bitten by dogs in the United States, and nearly a million people require medical attention for dog bites every year.  Some of these injuries can be serious so prevention programs are important.

McHenry County Animal Control & Adoption Center (MCAC), a division of McHenry County Department of Health, joins the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) in helping educate the public on how to best prevent dog bites.

AVMA has partnered with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U. S. Postal Service to offer a brochure, “What you should know about dog bite prevention” with tips on how to avoid being bitten, what dog owners can do to prevent dogs from biting and how to treat dog bites http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/dogbiteprevention.pdf.

MCAC offers bite prevention programs for students and adults.  The B.A.R.K. Dog Bite Prevention Program includes a 30-minute video, followed by a Q&A session, and has been presented in schools, at the annual Children’s Health and Safety Fair, to Scout Groups and after-school groups.  The program has also been held at the MCAC facility and includes a tour. 

For more information on bite prevention or to schedule a B.A.R.K. presentation, contact Kara at 815-334-4946 or visit www.mcdh.info.