When a 91-year-old was killed by her pet pit bull in Virginia last month, locals were shocked. A few, though, reached out to local news sources to provide information about the shelter from which the dog came. 13News reports that the Forever Home Rehabilitation Center in Virginia Beach adopted out the pit bull in question. Former employees told 13News that though the center’s mission was to rehabilitate aggressive dogs, that didn’t always happen.
“Dogs are coming in, and sometimes within as little as one week or two weeks, coming in with dangerous bite histories from the rescues, and being adopted right back out to the public,” the former employee said in an interview with 13News.
A 2015 inspection report offers similarly troubling details. Multiple cages in the center were deemed unsafe and without proper ventilation, a foul odor lingered in the area. In one case, a dog was not given proper emergency medical care and died. While the center has undergone inspections and passed since 2015, the details certainly don’t paint a great picture for families hoping to adopt dogs from them.
While none of the information provided about the rehab center includes specifics about the pit bull in question, it does help provide context about the environment in which the animal was allegedly rehabilitated. Animal shelters and rehab centers like this one may have the best intentions, but become quickly overwhelmed when they receive a surplus of animals. It’s not surprising to learn that behavioral training might get pushed aside by busy administrators — but it’s certainly troubling for the family of the pit bull attack victim.
Virginia Dog Bite Lawyer – Richard Serpe
Our attorneys have been helping victims injured in accidents caused by someone else’s negligence for over 28 years. . We are also sensitive to the need to conduct a prompt investigation, which is necessary to prevail in the case against the person responsible. If you’d like to speak with us about your situation contact us.
