Deceptive Adoption Listings Place Dangerous Dogs in Homes

When families look online for a new pet, they’re often greeted by colorful photos of dogs posed with funny hats, cute captions and intriguing backstories. Facts about a dog’s history, on the other hand, are more difficult to come by. Dogsbite.com recently published an expose about the deceptive nature of many shelter postings, and how they are leading to more and more dangerous dogs being adopted into homes. Whether the advertisements are deliberately fraudulent is debatable, but there’s no denying that shelters often sugar coat their animals in hopes of adopting them out. If you and your loved ones are considering adopting a dog from a shelter, consider the following red flag phrases often found in adoption ads:

“I’m Kind of Anxious”

Anxious humans can be hard to reason with, but anxious dogs are downright impossible to handle at times. Though medication and behavior modification can help, it’s often more than most pet owners are willing to offer their dog. Not all anxious dogs are inherently dangerous, but their behavior can be unpredictable.

“I’m Working on My Confidence”

What does it mean when a dog lacks confidence? This phrase is often code for dogs that have been adopted out and returned multiple times. While this doesn’t necessarily mean the dog is dangerous, it could be a sign of problem behavior.

No matter what the ad for the dog says, there’s inherent risk in adopting a shelter pet. Do your due diligence to understand a dog’s history before bringing it into your home.

Virginia Dog Bite Lawyer

The Law Offices of Richard J. Serpe, PC has helped victims of personal injuries for over 30 years. If you were attacked by a dog because of someone else’s negligence, contact us for a free consultation.