Season 1: Episode #15: "Pediatric Dog Bites" w/Sara Owczarczak-Garstecka

Today's Topic: Did you know that the likelihood of a child sustaining a dog bite in their lifetime in the U.S. is 50%? You read that right: 50%! That said, many parents are woefully unaware that dog bites of babies and children are something to be concerned about at all due to the preponderance of "cute" videos featuring dogs and babies or children interacting on social media, the widespread cultural belief that dogs are naturally protective, careful and loving, and the shame and guilt felt by parents whose child has been bitten, and their corresponding reluctance to share their experience with anyone, lest they be judged as an "irresponsible parent." That's why we invited Sara Owczarczak-Garstecka, the author of a recent research paper entitled, Pet Dog Bites In Children: Management And Prevention on the pod to discuss the overall scope and scale of the problem, why she believes dogs bite people, why so many parents are unaware of this issue, the physical and psychological impact of these injuries for both the child and the parent(s), strategies on how to prepare yourselves and your home for life with your child and your dog, and how policy, in addition to training and education, can help reduce this problem.

Guest Bio: Sara Owczarczak-Garstecka has a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology from the University College London and a Master's Degree in Clinical Animal Behaviour from the University of Lincoln. She has also worked and volunteered in dog shelters for over 10 years. Through these experiences, she developed a passion for learning about dog behaviour and striving to improve their welfare. As there is no way dog welfare can be improved without enhancing the quality of the human-dog bond and their owners' wellbeing, the way people interact with dogs soon became her focus. She has completed a PhD entitled, Dog Bites: Perception and Prevention, at the University of Liverpool. She currently works as a research officer at Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity. She can be contacted directly on Twitter here.