If you are a dog lover or a pet lover in general, this is a very important week to bring awareness to dog owners and those without dogs as well.

johnonolan, flickr
johnonolan, flickr
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This week is National Dog Bite Prevention Week and we wanted to assist in helping bring awareness to this very important topic.

First, let's start with some facts:

◾Each year, more than 4.5 million people in the U.S. are bitten by dogs.

◾Almost 1 in 5 people bitten by dogs require medical attention.

◾Every year, more than 800,000 Americans receive medical attention for dog bites; at least half of them are children.

◾Children are, by far, the most common victims of dog bites and are far more likely to be severely injured.

◾Most dog bites affecting young children occur during everyday activities and while interacting with familiar dogs.

◾Senior citizens are the second most common dog bite victims.

Proper education and socialization of your dog is important. It is also just as important to educate your children on how to approach a dog and why.

Jim Crosby, who is a world-renowned canine behavioral specialist in dog aggression, called in to Jim's show this morning with some very insightful tips. Crosby offered a very important key point for dog owner's to remember and that is responsibility. Above all else, if your dog gets loose or bites someone, it is ultimately the owner's responsibility because you have failed that animal. If the dog does attack, it means the animal wasn't responsibly controlled and human involvement in teaching the dog non-aggressive tactics wasn't present.

You can listen to the entire interview with Jim Crosby in the audio player below. You can also follow Jim Crosby and learn more about him on his blog, by clicking HERE.

NJ Aid for Animals, is a no kill animal protection charity that strives to end the suffering of animals in NJ and beyond. NJ Aid for Animals is working with Jim Crosby during Dog Bite Prevention Week and you can get more information on what Jim will be doing with them, as well as more about their organization by clicking HERE or going to http://www.njafa.org/.

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