[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 355 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 355

Recognizing May 17-23, 2009, as National Dog Bite Prevention Week, and 
 calling upon all municipalities to work with the American Veterinary 
Medical Association, the United States Postal Service, and the American 
Academy of Pediatrics to adopt and implement effective dog bite injury 
prevention programs to protect Postal Service employees, including laws 
                 encouraging responsible dog ownership.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 22, 2009

Mr. McCotter submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
            the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing May 17-23, 2009, as National Dog Bite Prevention Week, and 
 calling upon all municipalities to work with the American Veterinary 
Medical Association, the United States Postal Service, and the American 
Academy of Pediatrics to adopt and implement effective dog bite injury 
prevention programs to protect Postal Service employees, including laws 
                 encouraging responsible dog ownership.

Whereas National Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 17-23, 2009, is an appropriate 
        time to raise awareness of the dangers of canine aggression against 
        United States Postal Service employees and the public;
Whereas Congress has sought to protect United States Postal Service employees 
        and the public from all safety hazards, including dangerous dogs;
Whereas National Dog Bite Prevention Week calls attention to one of the Nation's 
        most commonly reported public health problems: dog attacks and dog bite 
        injuries;
Whereas dogs have shared their lives with humans for more than 12,000 years and 
        have contributed substantially to humans' quality of life, and there are 
        more than 74,000,000 owned dogs in the United States;
Whereas according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 
        4,700,000 people in this country (or nearly 2 percent of the population) 
        are injured by dog bites each year, and, of that number, approximately 
        800,000 are affected seriously enough to require medical attention;
Whereas the primary victims of dog bite injuries are children;
Whereas more than 3,000 United States Postal Service mail carriers are bitten by 
        dogs each year, as are an unknown number of meter readers, police 
        officers, and other door-to-door professionals who have regular exposure 
        to numerous dogs;
Whereas the average cost of a dog bite injury (or other attack by a dog), 
        resulting in a claim for medical treatment, is $336;
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that more 
        than 70 percent of dogs involved in attacks are males of various breeds 
        which have not been neutered;
Whereas intact dogs are more likely to roam, which increases bite risk to people 
        through increased exposure to unfamiliar dogs, and spaying or neutering 
        is recommended to minimize this risk;
Whereas the following additional strategies to help prevent dog bite injuries 
        are recommended: enforcement of animal control ordinances; adoption and 
        enforcement of non-breed-specific dangerous dog laws; prohibiting dog 
        fighting; and children-and-adult-based education programs which teach 
        pet selection strategies, pet care and responsibility, and bite 
        prevention techniques;
Whereas the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Centers for Disease 
        Control and Prevention, the United States Postal Service, and the 
        American Academy of Pediatrics are working to educate Americans about 
        dog bite injury prevention; and
Whereas municipalities across the country have a duty to adopt and implement 
        comprehensive dog bite injury prevention programs, including laws 
        addressing responsible dog ownership, irrespective of breed, to ensure 
        the safety of United States Postal Service employees and the public: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) the House of Representatives supports the goals and 
        ideals of National Dog Bite Prevention Week as being for the 
        protection of United States Postal Service employees and the 
        public;
            (2) municipalities should work with the United States 
        Postal Service, in consultation with the American Veterinary 
        Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, to 
        adopt and implement effective dog bite injury prevention 
        programs which encourage responsible dog ownership to protect 
        United States Postal Service employees, considering dogs of all 
        breeds may bite if they are not managed appropriately and 
        treated humanely; and
            (3) preventing United States Postal Service employees from 
        receiving dog bite injuries and protecting them from canine 
        aggression are issues which must be addressed by each 
        community, and, when addressing those issues, communities 
        should consider the many factors contributing to a dog's 
        tendency to bite United States Postal Service employees and 
        should enact model programs and legislation addressing these 
        various factors.
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