Unfortunately, pets don t come with a warning label on safe handling. Half of all children are the victims of animal bites by the age of 12, and a majority of the time, the animal doing the biting is the family pet. Last year, she had to get five stitches after her dog turned on her. So he just turned around and bit me, even though he s my dog.
People think that just because it s their pet it s o-k to touch it all the time.
Parents must first re-learn their assumptions about handling the family pet, and pass that knowledge on to their kids. Before approaching any animal, a person should first take a measure of how that animal is responding. If the animal seems angry or is backing away, it s best to respect it s space. Do not surprise a pet who is sleeping or eating, or is pregnant. Perhaps most importantly, kids and parents need to give their pet plenty of love.