All veterinarians have a professional and moral obligation to address the serious dog bite problem in the United States, and to be up to date on the latest information and resources available about this issue. The AVMA encourages state and local veterinary associations and individual veterinarians to disseminate information about this problem to schools, other youth groups, civic clubs, governmental agencies and the public at large via many avenues, including printed materials, presentations and online educational materials. Individual veterinarians are also responsible for educating their clients about dog bite prevention, advising owners about the risks of owning a potentially dangerous pet, and for making recommendations to reduce those risks.