When 3-month-old Clara was bitten by the family dog, she experienced significant trauma to her skull, face, scalp and ear. Her family traveled to Johns Hopkins and met with pediatric plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Rick Redett, who performed reconstructive procedures on Clara and will continue to do so as she grows. The accident hasn’t prevented Clara from living her life as participates in many sports, acting and lives her life with passion and bravery. | Johns Hopkins Medicine

Dog bites suffered by children have jumped almost 20 per cent, coinciding with a recent spike in pet ownership. Paediatric plastic surgeons say that even small breeds are inflicting serious injuries. #9News | WATCH LIVE 6pm | 9 News

As Dog Bite Prevention Week comes to a close, we’d like to discuss education and ongoing awareness. Everyone is encouraged to keep spreading awareness and practice dog bite prevention year-round. Children are the most common victims of dog bites. The good news is this can potentially be avoided by teaching your children how to be safe around pets. The AVMA offers a coloring book to help kids learn how to behave safely around dogs. You can find that, as well as a host of other educational tips at