Wil Mara - What Should I Do? If I See a Stray Animal

Published in the United States of America by Cherry Lake Publishing Ann Arbor, Michigan www.cherrylakepublishing.com Content Adviser: Karen Sheehan, MD, MPH, Childrens Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois Photo Credits: Cover and page 1, Lane V. Erickson/Shutterstock, Inc.; page 5, Tina Rencelj/Shutterstock, Inc.; page 7, saiko3p/Shutterstock, Inc.; page 9, Art_man/Shutterstock, Inc.; page 11, Viktor Gladkov/Shutterstock, Inc.; page 13, Goodluz/Shutterstock, Inc.; page 15, Studio 1One/Shutterstock, Inc.; page 17, Pam Mamsch; page 19, Scott Rothstein/Shutterstock, Inc.; page 21, Seiji/Shutterstock, Inc. Copyright 2012 by Cherry Lake Publishing All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Mara, Wil. p. cm.(Community connections) Includes bibliographical references and index. cm.(Community connections) Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-1-61080-050-1 (lib. bdg.) ISBN-10: 1-61080-050-8 (lib. bdg.) 1. Feral animalsJuvenile literature. 2. 3. 3.

Feral cats-Juvenile literature. 4. Safety educationJuvenile literature. 5. Public safetyJuvenile literature. II. Series. Series.

SF140.F47M37 2011 613.6dc22 2010053753 Cherry Lake Publishing would like to acknowledge the work of The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Please visit www.21stcenturyskills.org for more information. Printed in the United States of America Corporate Graphics Inc. July 2011 CLFA09

Pets can make you very happy. It is a lot of fun to play with a dog or a cat. Stray animals can be very dangerous. Stray animals can be very dangerous.

Do you know what to do if you see one outside? Do you know the pets in your neighborhood? ASK QUESTIONS! Get to know your neighbors pets. Find out their names. Learn if they are friendly or not. You should always know which animals are your neighbors pets and which ones are strays.

You might want to go near a stray animal if you see one. Maybe you think it is lost.

You might want to bring it back home. Or maybe it looks hungry and you want to feed it. These are all bad ideas. Feeding stray animals can be dangerous. Stray animals can be very mean. Even those that look friendly could scratch or bite you.

Sometimes stray animals are sick. Some have a disease called rabies . You can catch rabies, too, if an animal scratches or bites you. It will make you very sick. Stray animals can bite or scratch you. LOOK! There are some clues that will help you figure out if an animal is sick.

It will walk slowly. It may hiss or growl. Sometimes it will have foam coming out of its mouth. Call for help if you see an animal like thisand dont go near it!

There are some rules you should always follow when you see a stray animal. The most important rule is to never go near the animal. Do not try to feed it or pet it.

Stay as far away from it as you can. The best thing to do if you see a stray animal is to stay far away from it. Slowly walk away from the animal. Walk backward so you can keep an eye on the animal while you are walking away. Make sure it does not come after you. Try to get inside your house or a friends house.

Then call an adult for help. You can also call 9-1-1 or animal control . If you dont know how to call 9-1-1, have an adult show you what to do. CREATE! Make a list of emergency phone numbers. One of them should be for your local animal control office. Another should be for a neighbor who can help you if your parents are out.

What other numbers might be good to write down? You might think you should run away from a stray animal if it comes close by you. Do not do this. Be very still instead. The animal might come up and smell you. But then it will probably go away. Do not make any loud noises, either.

Noise or fast movement could scare the animal. A scared animal might bite you. Running away from a stray animal is not a good idea. It might chase you. Curl up into a tight ball if a stray animal knocks you down. Cover your head with your arms.

Pull your knees up to your chest. Do not move once you are curled up. The stray animal should leave you alone after a while. Stay still, cover your head, and make yourself as small as possible if a stray animal knocks you down.

Change your clothes and take a bath or shower as soon as possible if a stray animal touches you. Do not eat anything or put your hands in your mouth until you are clean.

Stray animals often have germs that can make you sick. If a stray animal touches you, take a shower or bath to wash away germs. Find an adult right away if you are scratched or bitten. You need to have your cuts cleaned. Then the adult should call a doctor. You might also have to go to the hospital .

Many animals are fun to be around. Follow the rules so you dont have to be afraid of them! You will stay safe if you keep away from stray animals, even the ones that look cute. MAKE A GUESS! Why do you think stray animals might try to hurt people? Could they be scared? Maybe they are confused. They might think you are trying to hurt them. What else might cause a stray animal to attack?

animal control (AN-uh-muhl kuhn-TROL) a group of people who deal with dangerous animals disease (di-ZEEZ) sickness germs (JURMZ) tiny living things that can make you sick