Did you know that there are just as many hospital admissions for children being bitten by dogs as there are children involved in near drownings or road accidents?

Up to 82% of children who are bitten by dogs are actually bitten in the family home by their own dog or by a dog that is known to the child. 7 out of 10 children bitten by dogs are aged between 0-4 years of age. Unfortunately the majority of these bites result in head, face and neck injuries.

Being a responsible pet owner means that we need to ensure that children and dogs can live happily and safely with each other in the family home.

We need to teach children how and when to interact with dogs and how to read a dog’s body language.

Actively supervise any interactions children have with dogs or securely separate.