I dont know what happened to spawn this little article of mine. I dont know what motivated me for the first time to respond to the reader’s comments. It may have been on the heels of a recent visit I made to a family who is overcome with grief and fear after their young son had had a bad experience with dogs that were running at large. They are trying to make new goals in their life, but the look of despair was obvious in their eyes. It could have been the recent conversations I had had with a group of dog bite victims, who were filled with fear, anguish, and sadness, but also the will to overcome, and enjoy dogs again in their lives. It could have been the gentle look my dog cast upon me, whilst he lay his head upon my lap. Somehow I found the courage to write a short letter in response to a horrific attack upon a child that resulted in the childs death. Ah, geez I just had to pick the hardest topic in the world to make sense of and there just isn’t enough hair dye in the world to justify just how stressful that can be. Blinders on, I continue forward despite all the red flags, because Im a dog bite prevention educator, so I must, Must, MUST send my response to educate (at this point interject a mental photo of a Jack Russell Terrier that spots a ball that it must have despite the fact that it can’t reach it…). Thats what I do and that’s the reason I plugged on, writing, in hopes of sharing something that would resonate with all who chose to read the reader comments. Below is a copy of my letter.
Teresas Letter to the Editor
No matter what the breed of dog you choose to share space with, it’s best if parents do some research and prepare for the life changes, involving babies, children and dogs. Almost all dog bites can be prevented through education. Education is not about blaming any one person or animal, it is all about learning to prevent tragedy from occurring. Fire prevention is an example of what education can do. Almost everyone knows what to do ¡f you should catch on fire: Stop drop and roll. Families should be just as familiar with what to do to prevent dog a bite: Be a Tree. Doggone Safe’s mandate is all about Prevention as its primary objective and we are proud to be the first non-profit in history to have accomplish this through education and victim support.
Having said this, Doggone Safe is hosting a huge challenge this year in May for dog bite prevention week. For the whole month of May, we are going to try to reach as many children as we can, using the Be a Tree teacher kits to educate about dog bite prevention.Five Tips to Responding to the Editor
This is how we can all do something completely proactive. Did you know that by the time a child reaches the age of 12, more than half have been bitten by a dog? Did you also know that of those children bitten that the dog was known to them? We live in a society where we have chosen to share space with a whole other species, like the dog. It’s best to learn all we can about dog behaviour, how to communicate with them, how to condition them to live in our home with our children and society in general. Dogs are everywhere, even people and families who do not share space with a dog in their home, will meet one in the street, in a friend, family or neighbours home. The more you know about how a dog communicates the safer you will be.
Please all, visit www.doggonesafe.com for more information as to how to be safe around dogs and prevent dog bites. We love dogs, we love children. Let’s all do our part to help prevent terrible events like the one posted here in the news.
Many articles and letters to the editor have been written with sharing success using 5 simple steps which I have listed below. If need be, re-read my letter above and see where these tips have been used.
- Do not cast blame-it won’t fix the problem. Not now, not ever. There is no future there…instead write about how to avoid another attack in the future.
- Share the burden- The burden of society is also a point worth making such as fundraising to promote dog bite prevention in shelters, schools, community centers, to involve the whole community to address dog bite prevention.
- Refer to breed of dog in your response as: “the Dog”-this will help keep the reader on track with the message you are making, as well as, help set you up for success so that your message will remain intact and not be subject to debate, out of context responses, and/or political issues.
- Remain neutral and objective by staying on topic- if you discuss one point of view, you will have to discuss all points of view, from the victim, from the owner of dog, from the dog’s (inferred) point of view. It’s best to stick to the educational content and tips to keep everyone safe including the dog!
- Finally, send your comment or message to the editor of the paper and not the reader comments! You increase your chances of your comment being shared with a bigger audience.
Advice for Dog Bite Victims
It’s also important to note that dog bite victims need to be validated. Having said that, if you know a dog bite victim that is trying to become a survivor, the best advice you can give them is:
- Don’t read the ‘readers comments’ of your story should it make the local press
- Seek therapy ASAP
- Visit Doggone Safe for more tips for Dog bite victims
If you like the letter above, please feel free to copy the letter (just give me credit for writing it on your behalf) and send it off to your local newspaper. There are many articles we have posted for your use on www.doggonesafe.com to copy and send to your local media.
Why don’t we set a personal challenge and send a letter a week right up and through Dog Bite Prevention Month of May! Send a copy of the letter I wrote above, or use another sample from our web site. Write your own letter to the media! I’m going to do the same.
Thats a proactive thing to do.
I’m looking forward to May! Cheers all,
Teresa
Teresa Lewin
Co-founder Doggone Safe Inc.
Please send your questions, comments to: safek9milton@live.ca
