Doggone Safe Appoints New Board to Broaden Reach of Dog Bite Prevention Mandate

TAMPA, Fla. - Aug. 6, 2015 - PRLog -- Tampa, FL – Doggone Safe, an independent non-profit organization dedicated to promoting educational initiatives for the purpose of dog bite prevention, has appointed a new board with a view to greater expansion and increased awareness of its mission. The new board members have been named as Rick Ingram, Rebekah King, Susan Winter, Robert King, Debra Millikan, Susan Nilson, Angelica Steinker and Niki Tudge, who collectively represent a mix of highly experienced business professionals and animal behavior consultants.

Doggone Safe was established with the mandate of increasing child safety around dogs and to provide support for dog bite victims. Many of its initiatives originated from a coroner's jury recommendations into the death of eight year-old Courtney Trempe, who was mauled to death by a neighbor's dog in Stouffville, Ontario in 1998.

Well-known for its “Be A Tree” program that teaches children a simple but effective way to behave if ever they feel threatened or uncomfortable with a dog, Doggone Safe currently has over 1,400 members and presenters worldwide. Since its inception, the organization’s presenters have educated over 1 million children in more than 30 countries about how to stay safe around a dog. Hundreds of thousands more people have been reached and influenced through Doggone Safe’s educational materials and social media campaigns.

“We believe Doggone Safe plays an important role in dog bite prevention and provides a large foundation from which we can help educate the general public about the importance of safety around dogs, whether pet dogs or unfamiliar dogs, and, most of all, how essential it is to have an understanding of canine body language so a dog’s warning signals can be heeded,” said Doggone Safe president, Niki Tudge. “Our goals will be to continue the great work the outgoing board members have put in motion, and to develop new programs going forward to help enhance the lives of our pet dogs.”

The outgoing board will remain available in an advisory capacity to ensure a smooth transition and plans are already in place to create new learning materials and online courses. There will be a continued focus on children, families and pet dog owners in terms of dog bite education and safety and the organization’s dog bite victim support group, which provides a valuable, ongoing service to dog bite victims and their families.

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About Doggone Safe

Doggone Safe is a 501(c)3 registered charity in the US, with members and presenters in more than 30 countries.
Doggone Safe's mission is to promote education initiatives for the purpose of dog bite prevention and increased child safety around dogs, and to provide support for dog bite victims. These educational goals originate from the recommendations of a coroner's jury inquest into the mauling death of eight year old Courtney Trempe in Stouffville, Ontario in 1998. Doggone Safe is the pioneer of the “Be A Tree” program that teaches children worldwide a simple but effective way to behave if ever they feel threatened or uncomfortable with a dog.

Resources

Be A Tree: www.be-a-tree.com
Coroner’s Jury Inquest: www.doggonesafe.com/resources/Downloads/Inquest_Recommendations.pdf