Got bit by my vet’s personal dog....help?

[savethemammimals]

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So the practice I work in, there is a male vet who owns three English bulldogs and one frenchy. The most recent English bulldog he acquired (about 1.5 yrs old and utd on rabies ONLY) decided to lunge at a client’s wheaten terrier and I got in the way. This resulted in a deep puncture wound in my arm, among other bite marks. This is the first incident where he has bitten a human BUT he more than occasionally will attack client’s dogs on a probably weekly basis. These dogs are free roam in the clinic btw. Wondering what I should do next. Already seeked medical attention. Wondering legally what can be done next since the doctor is aware the dangers his dog poses to other people’s pets and has done nothing about it thus far. I’m from New York if that helps any of y’all with the state laws.

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

NYC? Looks like laws aren't just state by state but get more specific than that.

Have you reported the bite? That would be step 1.

 

[EB73674]

Is the vet in question the practice owner? Is there someone higher up than him or someone on equal footing (another vet, chief of staff, practice manager, etc) that you could talk to? This sounds like a recipe for other pets and people to not only get hurt, but also to become a legal and reputational liability.

 

[sheltermed]

Not sure if you are yet at this point, but I would recommend: NYS Professional Misconduct Enforcement - the site says it excludes medicine, which is true, but it DOES include veterinary medicine.

Edit: Also, some general NYSED vet med resources: NYS Veterinary Medicine:Contact Information

 

[savethemammimals]

This is a practice in NYC. He is the chief operating officer but still practices as a clinician. But our clinics are owned by a corporation....

 

[genny]

This is a practice in NYC. He is the chief operating officer but still practices as a clinician. But our clinics are owned by a corporation....

You should be filing a workman’s comp claim to get your medical expenses covered. See NYS Workers Compensation Board - Home Page

Do you have a corporate contact? Or a Human Resources contact? Those people can help you address the way your boss continues to let his dog roam free. It creates liability for the corporation, so they should hopefully be responsive to you.

 

[Lupin21]

Going to close as legal advice is not in the scope of SDN. We always advise to seek legal advice from a qualified professional. Good luck with you situation.