Stay smart around dogs

Sir, Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, is urging children, parents and carers to learn how to stay safe around dogs during its first Be Dog Smart Week between June 19 and 25.

This initiative comes after NHS data revealed that over the past five years children under 16 accounted for 8,000 hospital admissions as a result of dog bites.

The charity’s team of education and community officers is delivering 278 workshops in 136 schools across the UK, offering practical tips such as:

* don’t approach a dog you don’t know

* and never leave your child alone with a dog.

Downloadable resources and information are available to everyone www.bedogsmart.org.uk. Hollie Sevenoaks, head of education, Dogs Trust.