Dog Bites | Four children admitted to hospital each day
The NHS has revealed there have been around 8,000 children under 16 admitted to hospital with dog bite injuries in the last five years.
8,000 hospital admissions
Of the 8,000 hospital admissions for dog bite injuries, over 70% involved children under the age of nine and over 1000 took place in 2015-16 alone.
Be Dog Smart Week
As a result of the data, UK charity Dogs Trust launched their first ever Be Dog Smart Week, which took place last week (19th-25th June). The aim of the week was to teach children how to stay safe around the much loved family pet.
The charity has apparently received around 150 calls since Christmas from parents wanting to give up their family pet as their children do not know how to interact safely with dogs.
Dogs Trust offered some useful advice and tips throughout the week, as well as an easy to read infographic (see below) and workshops in schools throughout the UK.
Head of education at Dogs Trust, Hollie Sevenoaks, says:
“Be Dog Smart Week is an important initiative that will help us continue to spread fundamental dog safety advice to thousands of children and parents across the UK.
“Whether your family owns a dog or not, 33 percent of children in the UK will encounter a dog every single day. Whilst being around dogs can have so many wonderful benefits for young people, the simple fact is that any dog can bite or snap if worried, scared or hurt.
“Many of these bites are preventable, and at Dogs Trust, we believe educating children, parents, grandparents, friends, teachers, guardians, and dog owners about dog safety, is the first step to preventing such incidents.”
Compensation following a dog bite – expert advice
If you have been attacked by a dog, even where the dog did not cause physical harm, you may be entitled to compensation. More information can be found via our ‘Dog Bite Claims’ page.
Whatever your experience involving a dog bite, speak to our expert team of personal injury solicitors today to discover how we could help you. For further information, call 0800 888 6 888 or email .
Source: Pet Gazette
Image Source: Vet Times
