1 min 46 sec
The New Year’s PSA
Share it with anyone bringing children to your celebration.
Part of the free SAFE program
Keeping dogs and kids safe on New Year’s Eve
Ringing in the new year is a good night for people and one of the worst of the year for dogs. Loud parties and fireworks make dogs deeply anxious, and an anxious dog barks, bolts, and sometimes bites.
4.5Mpeople bitten by dogs in the US every year
Halfof all dog-related injuries involve children
2.8Mdogs entering US shelters and rescues each year
320Kof those dogs are euthanized
Bite figures: American Veterinary Medical Association. Shelter figures: ASPCA, 2025 data from Shelter Animals Count.
Keep your dog calm, cool and collected on New Year’s Eve.
Dog bites can be prevented
Most bites to children come from the family dog, or from a dog the child already knows — and more than half of all dog-related injuries in the US involve children. Almost all of it is preventable with a few small changes that make your dog less frightened and less crowded on New Year’s Eve.
Fireworks are the problem most owners underestimate. A dog who is fine with a party can still be terrified by what happens at midnight, and fear is what turns an ordinary dog into one who snaps at the nearest person.
Our Be SAFE for New Year’s videos can help you see the night in with your dog settled rather than frantic.
Watch together
Two short videos for New Year’s
Both under two minutes. Watch them with your children, and send the PSA to whoever is coming over.
1 min 50 sec
Tips and tricks for New Year’s
Fireworks, guests and a dog who would rather be anywhere else.
Simple steps that make a difference
What to do to keep children and dogs safe on New Year’s Eve
Keep dogs indoors and away from fireworks
Fireworks genuinely traumatize some dogs. Keep your dog home, and settled with someone, if you are going out to watch a display.
Keep your dog away from the front door
If you are hosting, settle your dog in another room with a food-dispensing toy and soft music to mask the sound of guests arriving.
Put food and trash out of reach
Keep bins closed and make sure your dog cannot get to the snack table while everyone is distracted.
Some foods are toxic to dogs
Chocolate and alcohol are the two that do the most damage on this particular night. Keep both well away.
Keep decorations out of reach
Inside and outside the house — within reach means within chewing range.
With a few simple precautions, and knowing what stresses your dog out, you can make New Year’s an enjoyable day for the whole family.
Thanks to Cathy Reisfield of Dependable Dogs for these tips.
The rest of the year
SAFE is not just for New Year’s
The same four steps work on an ordinary Tuesday. The free SAFE program teaches children what to do with a dog they live with, and what to do with a dog they have never met.
The free SAFE programBoth videos, the four steps, and a free kit
of children’s eBooks, wall charts and coloring pages.
SAFE around a dog you knowYour own dog, grandma’s dog, the
dog at the sleepover — where most bites to young children happen.
SAFE around a dog you don’t knowWhat to teach a child to
do with their body when an unfamiliar dog comes toward them.
Dog body language posterThe Go / Caution / Stop signals chart,
printed for a wall where your children will actually see it.
Dog body language postcardsThe same chart as a pack of 50
double-sided postcards, for handing out.
Dog Smart card game108 cards, 27 ways
to play. Children learn to read a dog without being lectured at.
Why this matters
Take a stand against dog bites
Dog safety education for adults and children is the whole job.
Any dog can bite — whatever their age or breed, however long you have had your furry friend, however well you think you know him. Many dog bites end with a dog being surrendered to an animal shelter, and according to the ASPCA, about 2.8 million dogs entered US shelters and rescues last year. Roughly 320,000 of them were euthanized.
Help stop the growing number of dog bites, and the number of dogs left at shelters because of them. Teach yourself and your children how to behave around dogs, how to greet a dog, and how to respect a dog’s body and a dog’s space.
Get the free SAFE kit for kids
Children’s eBooks, printable wall charts and coloring pages, plus both SAFE videos. Nothing to buy — it works on New Year’s Eve and every other day of the year.
