Doggone Safe has announced the International Dog Bite Prevention Challenge for 2012. It challenges its presenters to visit schools and educate 50,000 children about dog safety in a single month. The Challenge is to celebrate Dog Bite Prevention Week (May 20-26, 2012). Non-profit Doggone Safe has more than 800 presenters in 17 countries, 11 Canadian provinces and 43 states in the USA. Dog bites to children are considered to be a serious public health problem by public health agencies and veterinary medical associations worldwide. Statistics show that most bites are by the family dog or other dog known to the child. “Experts agree that public education has an important role to play in reducing dog bite risk to children, and the Be a Tree program is one of the ways Doggone Safe is contributing”, said Teresa Lewin, vice president and cofounder of Doggone Safe.
Doggone Safe administers the “Be a Tree” dog bite prevention program for school children. The program is delivered by Doggone Safe presenters, veterinary technicians, dog trainers, dog behaviorists, public health nurses, emergency medical services personnel, animal control officers, police officers, teachers and humane educators. Presenters use a teacher kit which contains large format photographs showing dog body language signs, games and activities. Program sponsors can purchase supplementary branded learning materials such as coloring books, paint sheets, a story book, a poster, stickers, bookmarks and fridge magnets. Over 700,000 children worldwide have experienced the Be a Tree presentation since 2004. Through the International Dog Bite Prevention Challenge, Doggone Safe aims to increase this by almost ten percent.
“I love ‘be a tree’ (and ‘be a rock’). Its the best of its kind. This information has to get out there”, said Jean Donaldson – Internationally recognized dog behavior expert, award-winning author and director of the Academy for Dog Trainers.
For more information about the Challenge, to become a sponsor, to book a presentation for your school or to register as a presenter please visit the Doggone Safe website at www.doggonesafe.com.
We Need Your Help!
Here are some ways you can help
Do a presentation. If you are a Be a Tree presenter, please join the Challenge! Talk to your local schools and organize one or more presentations. We have a letter to the principal and letter to the teacher that you can download, edit and use to explain the program.
Become a Be a Tree presenter. Click here for more information. The Be a Tree Teacher Kit Plus PowerFlashPoint Show are now on sale for $70 (thats $30 off!) from now until the end of May.
Buy from Canada
Buy from the USBuy from Elsewhere (note delivery can take up to 4 weeks)
Send out our press release. Download our press release and send it to you local media. If you are a presenter and have your own business, you can download and edit the press release template to help promote your business and get some media attention for yourself and Doggone Safe.
Blog about the Challenge. If you have a blog, please copy this blog post, use one of our prewritten articles or write your own article about the Challenge.
Share on Facebook and Tweet about the Challenge. Here is a link to our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DoggoneSafe. Like our page and then share the post about the Challenge.
