Famed Hollywood Dog Trainer and Lassie Descendant Unleash National Dog Bite Prevention...

Famed Hollywood Dog Trainer and Lassie Descendant Unleash National Dog Bite
Prevention Week, May 14

Postal Service, American Veterinary Medical Assn., American Academy of
Pediatrics, Unite to Prevent Dog Bites

WASHINGTON, May 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A famed Hollywood dog trainer
and a descendant of one of the world's most popular dogs are teaming with the
United States Postal Service and other partners to bring attention to a major
campaign in America: Dog bite prevention.

Hollywood trainer Bob Weatherwax, son of Rudd Weatherwax, who established the
famous "Lassie" line of collies appearing in the classic television series,
will today join postal officials and representatives of the American
Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP) to kick off the 2009 National Dog Bite Prevention Week.

Weatherwax will use Laddie, a ninth-generation direct descendant of the
original collie, Pal, who immortalized the "Lassie Come Home" MGM films of the
1940s, to demonstrate how to properly react around dogs during a National Dog
Bite Prevention Week press conference today at 10:30 a.m. PT at the Whittier
Post Office in Whittier, CA. National Dog Bite Prevention Week runs May 17-23.

It's estimated that 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs every year. One of
the saddest aspects of this crisis is that most, if not all, dog bites are
entirely preventable through training, proper control of dogs, and education.
Children are the most common victims, followed by older people and postal
employees.

"Responsible dog ownership is the key to responsible dogs," said Weatherwax.
"National Dog Bite Prevention Week is a valuable campaign that will heighten
awareness and educate the public about responsible dog ownership. I applaud
all the organizations leading this important mission."

"Employee and customer safety are always our number-one concern," said Postal
Service Vice President and Consumer Advocate Delores J. Killette. "National
Dog Bite Prevention Week is one of our most important campaigns to help our
employees and customers remain safe when they come in contact with man's best
friend."

The Postal Service offers the following tips:

How to Avoid Being Bitten
-- Don't run past a dog. The dog's natural instinct is to chase
and catch prey.
-- If a dog threatens you, don't scream. Avoid eye contact. Try to
remain motionless until the dog leaves, then back away slowly until
the
dog is out of sight.
-- Don't approach a strange dog, especially one that's tethered
or confined.
-- While letter carriers are discouraged from petting animals, people who
choose to pet dogs should always let a dog see and sniff them before
petting the animal.
-- If you believe a dog is about to attack you, try to place something
between yourself and the dog, such as a backpack or a bicycle.

How to Be a Responsible Dog Owner
-- Obedience training can teach dogs proper behavior and help owners
control their dogs.
-- When a carrier comes to your home, keep your dog inside, away from the
door in another room.
-- Don't let your child take mail from the carrier in the presence of
your dog. Your dog's instinct is to protect the family.
-- Spay or neuter your dog. Neutered dogs are less likely to bite.
-- Dogs that receive little attention or handling, or are left tied up
for
long periods of time, frequently turn into biters.

"Approximately half of the 800,000 Americans who receive medical attention for
dog bites each year are children," says Dr. James O. Cook, AVMA president.
"Through increased education and other efforts, these incidents are largely
preventable. That's why National Dog Bite Prevention Week and prevention
programs are so important. Prevention and education are a true cure for dog
bites."

"Pediatricians treat children with dog bites every day, and some are quite
serious. These incidents can be dramatically reduced if children and parents
know what to do," says AAP President David T. Tayloe, Jr., MD, FAAP.

"Children are frequently bitten on the face, which can result in severe
lacerations, infection or scarring," said American Society of Plastic Surgeons
President John Canady, MD. "Plastic surgeons, who have the training to
preserve and rearrange skin and tissue, performed more than 16,000
reconstructive surgeries after dog bites last year. Following these dog bite
prevention tips and educating the public will help prevent attacks."

Other partners of 2009 National Dog Bite Prevention Week include the American
Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the American Society of Maxillofacial
Surgeons (ASMS), the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM)
and Prevent the Bite.

To help educate the public about dog bites, the AVMA has developed a brochure,
"What you should know about dog bite prevention," offering tips on how to
avoid being bitten, what dog owners can do to prevent their dogs from biting
and how to treat dog bites.

Such tips include: Pick a dog that is a good match for your home. Consult your
veterinarian for details. Socialize your pet. Avoid aggressive games with your
dog. To access the brochure online, visit
www.avma.org/press/publichealth/dogbite/mediakit.asp.

An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery
service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences,
businesses and Post Office Boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail
locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax
dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government
Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has
annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world's mail.

The AVMA and its more than 78,000 member veterinarians are engaged in a wide
variety of activities dedicated to advancing the science and art of animal,
human and public health. Visit the AVMA Web site at www.avma.org for more
information.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care
pediatricians, pediatric medical sub-specialists and pediatric surgical
specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants,
children, adolescents and young adults. www.aap.org

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of
board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. Representing more than 6,700
members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information
source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. For more information,
visit www.plasticsurgery.org.

The American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons is the oldest organization
representing maxillofacial plastic surgeons. The Society accomplishes its
mission to advance the science and practice of surgery of the facial region
and the craniofacial skeleton through education, research, and advocacy. For
more information, visit www.maxface.org.

The American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery is a not-for-profit
organization consisting primarily of orthopedic and plastic surgeons that
perform microsurgery and other complex reconstructions. For more information,
visit www.microsurg.org.

Prevent the Bite's mission is to prevent dog bites to children through
education. For more information, visit: www.preventthebite.org.

Contact: Roy Betts
(0) 202-268-3207
(C) 202-256-4174
roy.a.betts@usps.gov

Rich Maher
(O) 714-662-6350
(C) 714-307-0202
richard.j.maher@usps.gov

Gina Steiner
Director, Division of Public Information
American Academy of Pediatrics
(O) 847-434-7945
gsteiner@aap.org
www.aap.org

Sharon Curtis Granskog
Assistant Director, Media Relations
American Veterinary Medical Association
sgranskog@avma.org
(O) 847-285-6619
(C) 847-280-1273

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service

Roy Betts, +1-202-268-3207, cell: +1-202-256-4174, roy.a.betts@usps.gov, Rich
Maher, +1-714-662-6350, cell: +1-714-307-0202, richard.j.maher@usps.gov, both
of the U.S. Postal Service; Gina Steiner of the American Academy of
Pediatrics, +1-847-434-7945, gsteiner@aap.org; or Sharon Curtis Granskog of
the American Veterinary Medical Association, +1-847-285-6619, cell:
+1-847-280-1273, sgranskog@avma.org