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BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
One in six South West children 'bitten by a pet'
One in six children in south-west England have been bitten by a pet - with 37% of those requiring medical attention, research has animal welfare charities working together as the Pet Education Partnership (Pep) said a survey of more than 1,000 children aged seven to 11 suggested 17% had been bitten, with 54% involving a the research, Pep has urged parents not to leave their children unsupervised with pets and be aware of how to prevent dog bites in Sam Gaines, of the RSPCA, said: "These shocking figures are understandably worrying and highlight why it's so important that parents and guardians are aware of how to prevent dog bites." Pep is a coalition of Blue Cross, Cats Protection, Dogs Trust, PDSA, RSPCA, SSPCA, USPCA and Woodgreen organisations have been providing sessions at primary schools to help teach children how to stay safe around charities hope if young people have a better understanding of the way animals behave, they will know when they are happy and in turn lead to fewer incidents. David Allen, from Pep, said said the coalition had used the research to develop the training course."A lot of the time, owners just think about themselves," Mr Allen said."There's plenty of evidence that suggesting having a pet is great for humans."What we're trying to do is counterbalance it so that it is great for pets as well." Children from Bishop Henderson Primary School in Taunton said they found the session they did at the RSPCA centre at West Hatch very useful."We've learned lots about how to approach a dog safely and how to ask for consent from both the owner and the dog," said 10-year-old Zara, who has a pet dog at 11, who also has a pet dog, added: "I didn't know all of it, so it is really helpful people telling us how to understand dogs and approach them."
South Wales Argus
03-06-2025
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Nearly one in five children in Wales bitten by a pet
The figures were revealed by animal welfare charities during Child Safety Week, which runs from June 2 to 8. A survey of more than 1,000 children aged seven to 11 found that 18 per cent had been bitten by a pet, and nearly half of those incidents required a visit to the doctor. Dr Sam Gaines, a dog welfare expert at the RSPCA, said: "These shocking figures are understandably worrying and highlight why it's so important that parents and guardians are aware of how to prevent dog bites and able to be present and actively supervise interactions between dogs and children." Despite warnings from animal welfare organisations, 76 per cent of children in Wales said they are left unsupervised with their pets at least once a week. The Pet Education Partnership, which includes the RSPCA, Dogs Trust, and other charities, is offering educational sessions to promote child safety around animals during Child Safety Week.
