positives of pet ownership

Positives of pet ownership• Wonderful companions• Unconditional love• Great for developing

self esteem• Provides opportunity to

be responsible and caring

• Great for exercise

One of many tragic stories

Herald Sun 7th Sept 2009

Photograph Ben Swinnerton

We Are Family

• Launched in April 2008

• Established in 60 hospitals with antenatal services.

• Booklets distributed as part of the booking process

• Has already been taken up by SA• Fully endorsed by NACE (National Association of Childbirth Educators)

We are making a difference!

Child dog bite hospital admissions and emergency presentations

have decreased by 22% in the last three year period

Over the past three years in Victoria we averaged

1 death

482 hospital admissions

1628 emergency department presentations

That’s nearly 6 each day

Dog AttacksDog Attacks

The Facts

0 to 4 is by far the most at risk group to be hospitalised due to dog attack

Most dog attacks requiring hospital treatment occur in the victims’ family home or that of family or friends.

They were therefore bitten by their own dog or one known to them.

Did you know

Toddlers and pets do not have an innate understanding of how to behave around each other.

Parents are not good at supervising or separating

Children are far more vulnerable to serious injury to the head and neck due to their size.

The Facts

(82% of hospital admissions and 69% of emergency department presentations were for head, neck and face injuries to the 0-4 age group)

Water and road safety have a high community profile.

Dog attacks put just as many kids in hospital

An accident waiting to happen

And so is this

Our Key MessagesAntenatal

•Prepare your pets and their environment.

Maternal & Child Health

•Actively supervise all interaction.

•If you can’t actively supervise, securely separate.

DVD

Information Booklet

Websitewww.pets.dpi.vic.gov.au

Customer Service Centre

The Program

•40 minutes to an hour

•DVD is divided into chapters

•Follow the Educator’s notes pages to initiate discussion.

Delivering the program

When can I deliver?• Parent education

sessions• Morning teas• Home visits• Mum’s groups• Dad’s groups• Grandparent’s

groups

Curly Questions?

• Don’t try and answer them

• Ring or email us– Range of experts we can resource from– We will turn around within 48hrs

We need your help

wearefamily.program@dpi.vic.gov.au

Phone 9217 4321

Virginia Soderstrom Rob Morrice