Accidents happen. We all know this, but if you’re not prepared for when they happen you could have a big problem on your hands. This applies to almost every situation, but does so especially when someone on your staff is bitten by a dog staying at your facility. It is important to stay level-headed and assess the situation entirely before jumping to conclusions or acting rashly.

Safety always comes first for both your staff and the pets that you are looking after. Keeping in mind that all situations are different; there are some general best practices to follow. Below are the six steps you should take if you encounter this unfortunate circumstance:

1) Separate the dog from the Staff Member.
At this point you probably don’t know the circumstances of the situation, but it is best to isolate the parties involved in the incident.

2) Determine if the Staff Member needs medical attention.
If medical attention is needed, have a manager or supervisor drive the injured employee to the nearest medical center or call 911 for an ambulance if the injuries are severe.

3) If you are the owner of the facility, you must make a decision on whether or not you will directly pay the employee’s medical bills or file a Workers’ Compensation Claim.
Generally, if there is minimal damage and you can help your employee, we recommend paying directly.

4) Make sure that the employee is cleared by a doctor to come back to work.
You never want to rush someone back to work if they aren’t ready. You should trust a doctor before approaching your employee.

5) Ask the employee if he or she feels comfortable coming back to work.
Dog bites in particular can be traumatizing experience, even for dog lovers. Be 100 percent sure that your employee is both physically and mentally prepared to return.

6) Finally, you must interview the employee to determine what caused the bite.
If it was due to an aggressive dog, the dog should not be allowed back. In this instance, only a manager should be allowed to handle this dog for the duration of the stay. If it was due to a minor employee mistake, retrain the employee on proper dog handling and care. If the employee did something that was clearly wrong, this employee should be terminated immediately.

To reiterate, safety should always be your number one priority at your facility. As the owner of a facility, you are responsible for what happens under your supervision or not. Having a clear and decisive policy on dog bites could be the difference between your business making or breaking.

K-9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel is an award winning, number 1 rated pet care facility. K-9 Resorts has been rated number 1 by New Jersey Monthly Magazine, Courier News, Suburban Essex and Monmouth Health & Life Magazine. K-9 Resorts was founded in 2005 by brothers Steven and Jason Parker in Fanwood, N.J. That business not only became a highly profitable enterprise that they sold for a six-figure sum in 2006, that revenue became the expansion fuel for their burgeoning K-9 Resorts business. The business, which is the only facility in New Jersey to have been rated number 1 by multiple major publications, is a luxury pet care franchise with locations throughout the East Coast of the U.S. K-9 Resorts has been featured on Fox News, CNN, CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes. To learn more about K-9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel and potential franchise opportunities, visit the company’s website www.k9resorts.com.

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