HABRI Central

Dog bites are a serious public health problem that inflicts considerable physical and emotional damage on victims and incurs immeasurable hidden costs to communities. Bites have been tolerated as a job-related hazard for utility and postal workers, but for many communities the problem may be more encompassing. Following a severe attack, there is usually an outcry to do something, and the something that is done often reflects a knee-jerk response. Only later do officials realize that the response was not effective and, in fact, may have been divisive for the community. To assist communities in avoiding such ineffective responses, the AVMA convened a Task Force on Canine Aggression and Human-Canine Interactions. Although the number of injuries will never be reduced to zero, Task Force members believe a well-planned proactive community approach can make a substantial impact. The information contained in this report is intended to help leaders find effective ways to address their community’s dog bite concerns.

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

1. Animal roles
2. Bites and stings
3. Communities
4. Dogs
5. Education
6. Funds
7. Information dissemination
8. Media
9. open access
10. peer-reviewed
11. Pets and companion animals