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New campaign works to prevent dog bites
SHERRY KARABIN
Special to the Legal News
Published: May 17, 2016
“Stop, Drop and Roll” and “Stranger Danger” are two common phrases designed to help children escape and avoid harm. But one topic that many educators and even parents often overlook is how to prevent dog bites.
But that’s not the case any longer at public schools in Akron.
In May the district kicked off a campaign to raise awareness about how to behave around dogs.
Developed by Slater & Zurz partner Jim Slater, the “No Johnny No Dog Bite Prevention Program” features both an animated video (https://dogbitesohio.com/ohio-kids-dog-bite-prevention-video/) and an illustrated book (Johnny’s Day for the Dogs) depicting situations in which children could be at risk of being bitten by a dog.
“My firm has been representing the victims of dog bite attacks for over 25 years” said Slater. “What people don’t realize is that more than half of the victims are children.
“Kids expect every dog to be loving and friendly and just like a teddy bear,” said Slater. “The reality is that all dogs are different and they react differently. Kids need to be taught to be careful and attentive.”
National Dog Bite Prevention Week takes place the third week of May. This year it runs from May 15 through 21.
To mark the occasion, Mark Williamson, director of communications at Akron Public Schools, said many educators are using the video to teach the students things such as the importance of asking the dog’s owner before attempting to pet the animal. Other topics include how to safely approach a dog, understanding the animal’s body language as well as how to act if being chased by a dog.
“Schools teach many things including how to cross the street safely, so it makes perfect sense to teach them about how to avoid getting bitten by a dog,” said Williamson. “This summer 20,000 students will be on vacation and many of them will play outside, perhaps encountering a dog or attempting to pet one.
“In the past the district has partnered with many nonprofit organizations to benefit students and their families,” he said. “While Jim’s firm is a for-profit organization, he is providing the video and the book to the district free of charge. The video is available on the websites of 55 schools for parents and school personnel to view so that they can teach the lessons it portrays to children.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention each year about 4.5 million people in the United States are bitten by dogs and nearly one out of five bites becomes infected. When it comes to children, the highest rate of injuries occurs in those between the ages of five and nine.
Slater said the firm is now handling a significant number of dog bite cases for clients in 24 counties in Ohio.
“I recently represented a young boy who had the tip of his nose bitten off,” said Slater. “I am now representing a little girl who had to have skin grafted onto her face after she was bitten by a dog. She no longer wants to go to school because she gets teased so her parents are homeschooling her.”
He said many people who are attacked by dogs fail to report what happened because the dog belongs to a neighbor or a friend.
Slater said if the video/book could prevent one child from being bitten it will have been more than worth his while.
“I have two young grandchildren so I wanted to do what I could to help,” said Slater.