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BARC, USPS to Host National Dog Bite Prevention Week Kick-Off Press Conference

(05/11/2011)


BARC, USPS to Host National Dog Bite Prevention Week Kick-Off Press Conference BARC Animal Shelter & Adoptions is partnering with the United States Postal Service on May 12, 2011 to host the national kick-off press conference for “Dog Bite Prevention Week.” The event will take place at Herman Square, just in front of City Hall. Media participants will meet at 8:00 a.m. in the Green Room tent on 901 Bagby Street. The press conference is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. with opening remarks by Houston Postmaster, Matthew Lopez. BARC and the United States Postal Service are joining forces to shed light on the 4.7 million dog bite cases last year nationally, about half of which involved children under the age of 12.

National Dog Bite Prevention Week is a public service campaign that offers safety tips and emphasizes the need for increased pet owner responsibility in the prevention of dog bites. Nation-wide approximately 5,700 USPS carriers were attacked last year—62 of those in Houston alone, ranking Houston among the top cities with the most attacks on carriers. Through the training efforts of BARC Animal Control Officers and BARC’s own mascot, Alf, Houston postal workers have seen a marked decline in dog bite incidents over the past 12 months.

Alongside Houston’s Acting Postmaster and members from USPS and BARC General Manager, David Atencio, will be speakers and representatives from Texas Children’s Hospital, Southwestern Insurance, the Texas Veterinary Medical Association, the Texas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Victoria Stillwell, host of Animal Planet’s “It’s Me or the Dog,”. Victoria will demonstrate several effective bite avoidance techniques with Alf, BARC's mascot.

Dog bite victims account for up to five percent of emergency room visits each year. In addition to human suffering, the cost of dog bites is tremendous. The Insurance Information Institute (www.iii.org) has found that one third of all homeowner’s insurance claims are due to dog bites, and recent figures put the cost of dog bites to insurers at $413 million (2011). This figure most likely does not account for many more bite victims who receive injuries that are not serious enough to require medical attention or hospitalization.

“BARC is working with USPS to introduce bite avoidance techniques for postal carriers, and to communicate our belief in training dogs using positive and humane methods,” said BARC General Manager, David Atencio. “We believe that training dogs using positive methods can be a critical part of reducing dog bites in our communities, and create a healthy, happy dog and a safe household.” BARC offers American Kennel Club (AKC) dog training classes to the public every Saturday at Noon, at the 3200 Carr Street facility.

The simplest, but most powerful thing you can do to help the BARC Houston shelter, and pets throughout our community, is to talk to your friends, neighbors, and family about caring for pets responsibly. We encourage everyone to visit the new www.houstonbarc.com.

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