70 million nice dogs…but any dog can bite
National Dog Bite Prevention Week® takes place during the second full week of April each year, and focuses on educating people about preventing dog bites. The dates in 2018 are April 8-14.
With an estimated population of 70 million dogs living in U.S. households, millions of people – most of them children – are bitten by dogs every year. The majority of these bites, if not all, are preventable.
- The U.S. Postal Service reports that 6,244 postal employees were attacked by dogs in 2017, down from 6,755 in 2016. Children, elderly, and postal carriers are the most frequent victims of dog bites.
- In 2017, insurers across the country paid nearly $700 million in claims related to dog bites, according to estimates from the Insurance Information Institute.
- Nearly 29,000 reconstructive procedures were performed in 2016 to repair injuries caused by dog bites, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Take this opportunity to learn more about dog bite prevention and help educate others so we can all work together to prevent dog bites.
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Observe National Dog Bite Prevention Week® on social media
Veterinarians: Bring dog bite prevention education to your clinic and community
- AVMA members: Use our dog bite prevention toolkit to celebrate National Dog Bite Prevention Week® in your clinic. Free materials in the toolkit include downloadable client handouts, posters, social media tips and more.
- AVMA's report, A Community Approach to Dog Bite Prevention (PDF), highlights tangible steps that veterinarians can take alongside state and local leaders to implement effective dog bite prevention programs in their community.
National Dog Bite Prevention Week® is a project of the National Dog Bite Prevention Week® Coalition.