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First school resource to tackle dog bites
Year 4 pupils from Robin Hood School working on the Safe and Sound activity book
Year 4 pupil Robbie and classmates work on the Safe and Sound activity book at the launch of the resource at Robin Hood School.

Safe and Sound teaches children how to interact with dogs

The UK's first resource to teach primary school children about safety around dogs has been launched in a bid to reduce the number of dog bites in young children.

Recent NHS figures revealed children up to the age of nine are the age group most highly affected by dog bites, with over 1,100 hospital admissions between March 2014 and February this year.

The new Safe and Sound Quality Kitemark Teaching Resource, launched by the Kennel Club, is the first of its kind to fit into the national curriculum.

It is made up of elements such as how to understand 'dog language', how to approach dogs, what to do and what not to do, recognising behaviour that could lead to aggression, what to do if dogs show aggression and why dogs bite.

Robin Hood Primary School in Kingston, London, is the first UK school to successfully implement this resource and is now an accredited 'Safe and Sound School'.

Safe and Sound is designed for children in Year 4, as eight-year-olds are at the developmental stage most adapted for absorbing, understanding and retaining information when taught. The resource can also be adapted for years 5 and 6 depending on ability levels.

It can be taught as a standalone module across four lessons, ending with an assessment, or schools can work it into other lessons.

The resource has received backing from Michael and Shirley Anderson, the parents of 14-year-old Jade Anderson who was tragically killed in a dog attack in 2013.

In a joint statement, they said: "We are firm believers that education plays a key role in helping to reduce the number of dog bite incidents in this country… In the past there’s been nothing available for schools to use to write this kind of thing into their lessons, so we are excited to be able to support something that is so important to us and close to our hearts."

Image © Press Association

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.