Yellow ribbon helps prevent dog bites

Have you noticed people walking their dogs with a yellow ribbon tied to the leash? Do you know what these ribbons mean?

While the dogs might be patriotic, these ribbons aren't being used to show support for our troops. They serve as a warning that the dog at the end of the leash doesn't like to be approached and petted by strangers, and that you should keep your distance.

Of course it's always good to ask permission before petting someone's dog - yellow ribbon or not. Doing so is just one way to help prevent some of the estimated 4.5 million dog bites that happen every year in the U.S.

May 18 to 24 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week, sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association. With an estimated population of 70 million dogs living in U.S. households, millions of people - most of them children - are bitten by dogs every year. The majority of these bites are preventable.

Visit the AVMA's website to learn more about dog bite prevention and subscribe to AVMA's YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/AmerVetMedAssn) for dog bite prevention videos and other pet, vet and animal-related videos throughout the year.