{"id":10015,"date":"2025-03-01T14:01:53","date_gmt":"2025-03-01T19:01:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dhss.delaware.gov\/dph\/dogbiteprevention\/"},"modified":"2025-03-07T03:07:43","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T08:07:43","slug":"dogbiteprevention","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dhss.delaware.gov\/dph\/oaw\/dogbiteprevention\/","title":{"rendered":"oaw\/dogbiteprevention ~  Dog Bite Prevention  &#8211; Delaware Health and Social Services &#8211; State of Delaware"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-swiftype-index=\"true\">\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n  <br>\r\n\r\n  \r\n\r\n  <div class=\"container\" id=\"main_header\">\r\n\r\n    <!-- BEGIN readspeaker div -->\r\n\r\n    <div class=\"rs_skip rsbtn rs_preserve\" id=\"readspeaker_button1\">\r\n\r\n      <a accesskey=\"L\" class=\"rsbtn_play\" href=\"https:\/\/app-na.readspeaker.com\/cgi-bin\/rsent?customerid=7262&#038;lang=en_us&#038;readid=main_content&#038;url=https:\/\/dhss.delaware.gov\/dph\/oaw\/dogbiteprevention.html\" title=\"Listen to this page using ReadSpeaker\">\r\n\r\n        <span class=\"rsbtn_left rsimg rspart\"><span class=\"rsbtn_text\"><span>Listen<\/span><\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\n        <span class=\"rsbtn_right rsimg rsplay rspart\"><\/span>\r\n\r\n      <\/a>\r\n\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <!-- END readspeaker div -->\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n    <header class=\"pull-left\">\r\n\r\n      <h1><!--[type=EDIT name=\"Page Title\"]-->Dog Bite Prevention<!--[END]--><\/h1>\r\n\r\n    <\/header>\r\n\r\n  <\/div><br>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n  <div class=\"container\">\r\n\r\n    <div class=\"row\">\r\n\r\n      <div class=\"col-md-3\" id=\"leftCol\">\r\n\r\n        <div class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\">\r\n\r\n          <div class=\"panel sectionmenu_panel\">\r\n\r\n            <div class=\"panel-heading\">\r\n\r\n              <p class=\"panel-title\"><a class=\"agency_nav\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapseOne\"><strong><i class=\"fa fa-align-justify fa-fw\"><\/i> Public Health Menu<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n            <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n            <div class=\"panel-collapse collapse in\" id=\"collapseOne\">\r\n\r\n              <div class=\"panel-body\" id=\"clf_nav\">\r\n\r\n                  <ul class=\"nav nav-stacked nav-pills-clf\" id=\"agency_sidebar\">\r\n    <li><a href=\"\/dph\/\"><h2>Home <i class=\"fa fa-home fa-fw\"><\/i><\/h2><\/a><\/li>\r\n    <li class=\"toplevel\"><a data-parent=\"#agency_sidebar\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#HomeMenu\"><h2>About <i class=\"fa fa-caret-right fa-fw\"><\/i><\/h2><\/a>\r\n      <ul class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"HomeMenu\">\r\n        <li><a href=\"\/dph\/about.html\">About DPH<\/a><\/li>\r\n        <li><a href=\"\/dph\/sections.html\">Sections &#038; 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When conflicts between animals and people arise,\r\n\r\n\r\n  local government agencies are called upon to respond through intervention and the development of prevention programs and policies that\r\n\r\n\r\n  promote community safety. The Office of Animal Welfare urges responsible policies that prevent dog bites using two cornerstones to dog\r\n\r\n\r\n  bite prevention:\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n  <li>Address factors common to dog attacks by promoting responsible pet ownership and community education; and\r\n\r\n\r\n  <\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n  <li>Strong enforcement of dog control laws and increased penalties for dog mismanagement\r\n\r\n\r\n  <\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n\r\n  <strong>Did you know that more than 80 percent of dogs involved in fatal attacks on humans are not spayed or neutered? Or that almost\r\n\r\n\r\n  half of these attacks involve children younger than age of five?<\/strong> By understanding the factors that are common among dog attacks,\r\n\r\n\r\n  we can create programs that eliminate the very situations that are dangerous.\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n\r\n  <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Dog Bite Prevention\" class=\"img-thumbnail img-responsive pull-right\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/03\/dogbite.bmp\">\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n\r\n  Here is what you can do to prevent dog bites:\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n  <li>Spay or neuter your dog. This improves your pet\u2019s overall and long-term health, and spayed or neutered animals are less likely\r\n\r\n\r\n  to bite. This will also decrease your dog\u2019s desire to roam free or fight with other animals.\r\n\r\n\r\n  <\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n  <li>Ensure your pet is healthy. Have your pet vaccinated against rabies and other preventable diseases. Dogs that are hurt or injured can\r\n\r\n\r\n  be more aggressive because they don\u2019t feel well or are in pain. Have regular check-ups with your veterinarian. Always see a\r\n\r\n\r\n  veterinarian if your pet\u2019s activity or behavior changes.\r\n\r\n\r\n  <\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n  <li>Socialize your dog. Dogs that are isolated, such as dogs that live the majority of their life chained or in a kennel, can become\r\n\r\n\r\n  territorial and aggressive. Socializing your pet, especially at a young age, can help him to feel at ease around people and other\r\n\r\n\r\n  animals.\r\n\r\n\r\n  <\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n  <li>Teach children how to appropriately approach and handle dogs. Many dog-on-human attacks occur with small children. Don\u2019t ever\r\n\r\n\r\n  leave a child unattended with a dog, no matter how familiar the dog is with the child. By teaching children not to approach a dog they do\r\n\r\n\r\n  not know and how to properly pet or handle an animal, you can reduce the probability of a bite.\r\n\r\n\r\n  <\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n  <li>Always keep your dog under your control. Not only is it illegal in Delaware to let your dog free-roam, it is dangerous for them and\r\n\r\n\r\n  for others. Free-roaming dogs can get into altercations with other animals or unfamiliar people. Obey leash laws. If you have a fenced-in\r\n\r\n\r\n  yard, ensure all gates are properly locked.\r\n\r\n\r\n  <\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n\r\n  <a href=\"http:\/\/www.avma.org\/public\/Pages\/Dog-Bite-Prevention.aspx\"><strong style=\"text-decoration: underline\">More information on\r\n\r\n\r\n  preventing dog bites<\/strong><\/a>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n\r\n  When dog attacks do occur, it is important for these cases to be properly investigated. If a dog is deemed potentially dangerous, based\r\n\r\n\r\n  on the investigation, owners have a right to request a county Dog Control Panel. The Panel consists of experts in dog behavior,\r\n\r\n\r\n  veterinary medicine, and law enforcement and hears cases of potentially dangerous dogs to make final determinations as to whether the dog\r\n\r\n\r\n  poses a future public safety risk.\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n\r\n  <strong>To Report a Dog Bite:<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n\r\n  Delaware Animal Services will visit the home of any person that has been bitten or experienced exposure to blood or body fluids. This\r\n\r\n\r\n  service is provided throughout the state of Delaware. DAS can be contacted 302-255-4646.\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"smalltext\">\r\n\r\n\r\n  <a href=\"oawhome.html\">Return to Office of Animal Welfare home page.<\/a>\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p>  <!--[END]-->\r\n\r\n  \r\n\r\n      <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <\/div><!-- \/container -->\r\n\r\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Listen Dog Bite Prevention Public Health Menu Home About About DPH Sections &#038; Programs Office Locations Contact Info Calendar Services A-Z Services Air &#038; Water Quality Birth, Death, &#038; Marriage Records Clinics Health Data &#038; Statistics Emergency Preparedness Health &#038; Wellness Healthy Homes Healthy Workplaces Laboratory Restaurant Inspections Screening and Testing WIC Additional Services Information [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"parent":10007,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-10015","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dhss.delaware.gov\/dph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10015","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dhss.delaware.gov\/dph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dhss.delaware.gov\/dph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dhss.delaware.gov\/dph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dhss.delaware.gov\/dph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10015"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dhss.delaware.gov\/dph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10015\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11920,"href":"https:\/\/dhss.delaware.gov\/dph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10015\/revisions\/11920"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dhss.delaware.gov\/dph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dhss.delaware.gov\/dph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}