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Bite Definition - Who Gets Bitten
- Pet Ownership/Pet Selection
- Bite Prevention To pierce the skin, especially with teeth or fangs. A bleeding cat scratch is considered a bite. Any contact with a bat or bats is considered a bite. Children make up more than 60% of all dog bite victims. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates more than 50% of all children 12 and younger have been bitten by a dog. High risk individuals are the elderly and home service people like mail carriers and meter readers. Before selecting a pet,
ask your veterinarian about behavior and suitability. When your dog is a puppy, expose him or her to a variety of social situations which include people and animals. Make sure each of these outings are under controlled circumstances and done a little at a time. Continue exposing your dog to social situations through out its' life. Don't put your dog in a position where it feels uncomfortable, this includes teasing or threatening environments. Recognize how your dog responds in situations. This will help you identify when your dog is uncomfortable or feeling aggressive.
Train your dog the basic commands of "sit," "stay," "no," and "come". This will build trust between pets and people. Avoid games like tug-of-war and wrestling. These games encourage aggressive behavior. Keep your Pet Healthy Vaccinate your dog or cat against rabies by a licensed veterinarian. In the state of Florida, a rabies vaccine must be given at 4 months of age but can be vaccinated at 3 months of age. This vaccine expires in one year. Then the dog or cat must be revaccinated with either a one, two or three year rabies vaccine. Follow your veterinarian's advice on a vaccination schedule. Neuter your pet Neutered pets are less likely to bite: That's a fact! Not only does neutering create a less aggressive animal, it also prevents pet over-population. Two positive outcomes with just one action! Leash Law An animal under physical control, is an animal under mental control. The law states all animals must be leashed at all times when off the property of the animal owner. In Brevard County, at large is defined as off the premises of the owner, and not under the physical control of a leash, cord or chain of sufficient strength to control the animal not to exceed six (6) feet in length. If you love your pet, leash your pet! Children are the victims to
more than 60% of all bites. To make our children safe, these rules should be
followed. Things to do to communicate you are a friend to a dog:
If a dog charges at you:
If you fall when a dog charges you:
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