Dog Bite University was developed to educate the public about the growing concern of dog bites and what can be done to prevent them. Animals at Heart has developed educational programs for both children and adults on how to prevent becoming a dog bite victim. In addition to these programs, the Animals at Heart website provides helpful information for parents who wish to educate themselves on how to decrease their child's chances of being bitten, as well as guidelines for pet owners who wish to minimize the risk of their dog biting someone. Our goal with these programs is to decrease the number of bite related injuries and deaths as well as to reduce the number of non-aggressive dogs that are euthanized as a result of a preventable bite incident.

 Here are some statistics that prompted us to take action:

        Any dog treated harshly or teased may bite, regardless of its breed.

        Over 2 million children are bitten by dogs each year.

        61% of attacks occur in the home.

        Mixed breed dogs are more likely to bite than a pure breed dog.

        Dogs not spayed or neutered are three times more likely to bite than an altered dog.

        A chained dog is 3 times more likely to bite than an unchained dog.

        Dog bites are increasing. Though the numbers of dogs in the U.S. increased by only 2% between 1986 and 1996, the number of dog bite injuries requiring medical treatment rose by 37%.

        The breeds most often involved in fatal attacks are Rottweilers and Pit Bulls. From 1979 to 1998, 331 people died as a result of dog attacks. Rottweilers and Pit Bulls were involved in over half of these attacks.

        The chances that a victim of a fatal dog attack will be a burglar are one in 177; the odds that it will be a child are 7 out of 10.

New Pet / Child Integration Counseling

A new addition to the family can be an exciting time, unless you're a pet. Whether it's a new pet or a new baby, any change in the family structure can be very distressing for the already-established family pet. If you would like help reducing the stress on your pet while integrating your new family member, feel free to contact us at biteprevention@animalsatheart.org.

Pets And Children Together Program

The PACT (Pets And Children Together) Program was designed to help educate children on the proper ways of handling a pet, how to approach an unfamiliar dog, as well as ways to protect themselves should they be attacked. It is important that these lessons be supported and reinforced by parents and family. In addition to online education, PACT Program Specialists also visit elementary schools and centers to talk to children about the importance of  bite prevention. If you are a teacher or parent in the Northeast Florida/Southeast Georgia area and would like more information about our PACT Program, please contact us at biteprevention@animalsatheart.org .