Vicki
Administrator
Cape Coral family uses son's death to help educate
Dog safety highlight of celebration at park
9:24 PM, May. 14, 2011
It was just 18 months ago Carrie and Joey
Perk lost their 2-year-old son Liam after
he was bit by their family dog.
Instead of retreating from the tragedy, the
Cape Coral family has used their loss and
the media spotlight that came with it to
help educate the community on dog safety
and bite prevention by creating the Liam J.
Perk Foundation.
On Saturday, the foundation held its second
annual Liam's Family Time Celebration at
Rotary Park - a location with a playground
dedicated to Liam last year. An estimated
3,000 attended.
"There's always more you can learn," Carrie
Perk said. "Even as educated as you might
think you are. A dog bite happens in a
40th of a second. It drives me crazy when
people say "My dog will never bite.'"
The Perk family was of that belief about
their dog Loyd, who before the attack
never showed signs of aggression.
But many don't recognize the warning signs
of a stressed dog as they can be as subtle
as lip licking, half mooned eyes and even
yawning. During the event, the foundation
passed out cards with various warning
signs, how to greet a dog and how to react
if approached by a loose or excited dog.
The foundation will be visiting Cape Coral
schools this week to educate students on
dog bite prevention as the week of May
15-22 is National Dog Bite Prevention
Week.
Cape resident Dave Hillery, 45, attended
with wife Jennifer and 8-year-old daughter
Alexa in hope of picking up safety tips as
well as having a family day.
"We came out last year when we heard
about the tragedy," Hillery said. "It's a great
event for the kids and it's great for animal
awareness.
"I give (the Perks) a lot of credit. It's a great
thing they're doing."
Since the foundation formed last year, it
has paired with Dogs & Storks - a foundation that focuses on solutions for
families with dogs and infants. Because a
baby changes the dynamic of the
household for the family and dog, they
offer educational tips to help better
monitor the mood of the pet.
The Perks say they want their foundation,
as well as the annual event, to grow.
"We're growing our foundation as if we
were growing Liam," Carrie Perk said. "We
would give anything to have (Liam) here
playing, but these are the cards we were
dealt. I can only imagine what he'd be like
today."
The Perks are hoping their loss might
prevent someone else's.
"It's good to see the families out here," Joey
Perk said. "Hopefully they're here for the
right reasons, and hopefully they are
getting something out of it. It's a good day,
and it means a lot. It's a healing day for
everyone. We miss our little guy every day."
http://www.news-press.com/article/2...ses-son-s-death-help-educate?odyssey=nav|head
Dog safety highlight of celebration at park
9:24 PM, May. 14, 2011
It was just 18 months ago Carrie and Joey
Perk lost their 2-year-old son Liam after
he was bit by their family dog.
Instead of retreating from the tragedy, the
Cape Coral family has used their loss and
the media spotlight that came with it to
help educate the community on dog safety
and bite prevention by creating the Liam J.
Perk Foundation.
On Saturday, the foundation held its second
annual Liam's Family Time Celebration at
Rotary Park - a location with a playground
dedicated to Liam last year. An estimated
3,000 attended.
"There's always more you can learn," Carrie
Perk said. "Even as educated as you might
think you are. A dog bite happens in a
40th of a second. It drives me crazy when
people say "My dog will never bite.'"
The Perk family was of that belief about
their dog Loyd, who before the attack
never showed signs of aggression.
But many don't recognize the warning signs
of a stressed dog as they can be as subtle
as lip licking, half mooned eyes and even
yawning. During the event, the foundation
passed out cards with various warning
signs, how to greet a dog and how to react
if approached by a loose or excited dog.
The foundation will be visiting Cape Coral
schools this week to educate students on
dog bite prevention as the week of May
15-22 is National Dog Bite Prevention
Week.
Cape resident Dave Hillery, 45, attended
with wife Jennifer and 8-year-old daughter
Alexa in hope of picking up safety tips as
well as having a family day.
"We came out last year when we heard
about the tragedy," Hillery said. "It's a great
event for the kids and it's great for animal
awareness.
"I give (the Perks) a lot of credit. It's a great
thing they're doing."
Since the foundation formed last year, it
has paired with Dogs & Storks - a foundation that focuses on solutions for
families with dogs and infants. Because a
baby changes the dynamic of the
household for the family and dog, they
offer educational tips to help better
monitor the mood of the pet.
The Perks say they want their foundation,
as well as the annual event, to grow.
"We're growing our foundation as if we
were growing Liam," Carrie Perk said. "We
would give anything to have (Liam) here
playing, but these are the cards we were
dealt. I can only imagine what he'd be like
today."
The Perks are hoping their loss might
prevent someone else's.
"It's good to see the families out here," Joey
Perk said. "Hopefully they're here for the
right reasons, and hopefully they are
getting something out of it. It's a good day,
and it means a lot. It's a healing day for
everyone. We miss our little guy every day."
http://www.news-press.com/article/2...ses-son-s-death-help-educate?odyssey=nav|head