Did you know that an estimated 4.7 million North Americans are bitten by dogs each year?! The random dog attacks that you hear about in the news however, are very rare. In fact, the majority of bites are from the family dog or a dog known to the victim. Boys between the ages of 5 and 9 are in the highest risk group but anyone can be a victim. The reality is that most dogs give us a number of warning signs before they bite. The problem is that we don’t know how to read them. So what can we do to keep our children and pets safe?

A little education can go a long way in preventing these unnecessary and often tragic events, and this is where PetFocus Veterinary Group comes in! We want to come to your child’s school, team meeting, or group gathering to teach them how to “speak dog”. Through the use of Doggone Safe’s “Be a Tree” program, trained PetFocus team members will help children learn to read canine body language and react appropriately in potentially dangerous situations. The program uses visual aids and fun, interactive games to teach your child important messages about bite prevention. For more information on how to “Be a Tree” please visit www.doggonesafe.com or call Melissa McKay at 435-2444 ext. 617

Weswood Hills' own Gill Peters did a presentation during Bite Prevention week (May 20-26) for a lovely group of children. She was amazed at how much they already knew about dogs and how quickly they caught on to the material!