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Presentation on child safety around dogs emphasizes subtle body-language cues
Summary
Veterinarian Nikki McCray told parents that many dog bites happen with familiar dogs and urged teaching children to read subtle signs—yawning, lip-licking, 'whale eye'—and to supervise interactions; the transcript records no civic actions or votes.
Nikki McCray, a veterinarian at Lions Veterinary Hospital in Summit, delivered a presentation titled "Wags to Warnings" aimed at parents in the Readington Township School District. She cited national figures—about 68 million U.S. households have dogs and roughly 4.5 million dog bites are reported each year—and said 77% of reported bites come from a family or friend\'s dog. McCray explained a "ladder of aggression," describing early signals such as yawning, lip-licking, turning the head away and "whale eye," and later signs including body stiffening, raised hackles, growling and biting. She demonstrated with videos that a wagging tail can coincide with discomfort and urged parents to ask owners for permission, supervise interactions, approach from under the chin, let the dog sniff and avoid direct eye contact. On handling bites, McCray recommended staying calm, assessing injuries, contacting a pediatrician or seeking emergency care for deep wounds, and reporting incidents to animal control or police. She pointed listeners to resources such as Family Paws and The Family Dog. The transcript contains no motions, votes, or formal policy directives.
