Lee County Domestic Animal Services has been awarded a 2017-18 Community Impact Grant from the Southwest Florida Community Foundation to implement an animal-bite prevention program.

More than 1,200 bites and scratches are reported annually to the Florida Department of Health in Lee County, with 10 percent of these cases receiving post-exposure rabies vaccinations. This grant will allow the county to target elementary-age students in order to educate families and children.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates half of all children 12 and under have been bitten by a dog. Three-quarters of these dogs belonged to the family or a friend. Reducing the number of dog and cat incidents in the county is the top goal of the education program.

The services provided by the grant will be used for the “Learn What’s Right, Prevent the Bite!” program, by providing rabies vaccinations to pets in underserved areas of the community; creating an educational plan for all elementary schools in Lee County; providing all elementary school students a dog-bite prevention bookmark, booklet and parent brochure; providing schools with access to informative DVDs on how to reduce dog bites to children; and creating an informational, bilingual brochure on animal-bite prevention in Lee County.