Attacks in Animal Shelters on the Rise

Visit any animal shelter on a busy Saturday afternoon and you’ll be inspired by what you see. Families picking out new pets, volunteers walking and grooming the animals, and employees assisting with the adoption process are all incredibly inspiring. Unfortunately, though, there is a dark side to animal shelters that few people ever see. That dark side is reflected in a new report on the number of dog bites and attacks that occur in animal shelters each year. While we’d like to believe that there is no better place to adopt from, shelters are often understaffed and underfunded, leading to dangerous procedures.

Controlling for the Unknown

Animal shelter employees are typically lifelong pet owners and animal lovers. Unfortunately, all the experience and empathy they have cannot protect them from unfamiliar, violent dogs who lash out at them while on the job. Too often, employees are afraid to speak out publicly about the bites they sustain while at work. Bad press about violent shelter dogs could lead to a decline in adoption rates, leading many workers to keep quiet about their experience.

Why Transparency Matters

Animal shelters and rescue organizations are understandably cagey about the number of attacks that occur on their watch each year. In order to prevent additional dog bites, though, these groups must reconsider the way they handle such attacks. Without honest reflection about why these incidents happen, more and more employees, volunteers and visitors will fall victim to violent dogs at shelters.

Dog Bite Lawyer Richard Serpe

Virginia dog bite lawyer Richard Serpe has 33+ years of experience helping victims of personal injuries. We have helped numerous victims to get the compensation they deserve.

These clients include children, adults, mail carriers, delivery drivers, joggers, pedestrians, and others. Contact Richard Serpe if you’ve been attacked by someone else’s dog.