By Jesi Peck, Executive Assistant
As a Veterinary Professional, whether you are a technician, veterinarian or receptionist, you may encounter an individual or an animal that you suspect is being abused. You may help a client who shows signs of suffering from domestic abuse. You may perform an exam on a dog who shows signs of suffering from neglect. If you began interacting with an individual or an animal that you believed was being abused, would you know what to do?
Laws regarding definitions of animal abuse, and laws surrounding veterinarian obligation to report abuse vary greatly by state. It is important to spend some time researching your state’s laws. After researching, developing a hospital policy and providing adequate training to all staff members regarding that policy is a great next step. Every staff member should have the same understanding of how to identify possible abuse, steps to take if one believes abuse is occurring, and the appropriate authority figure to contact. Since laws vary from state to state, below are a few suggestions of what once can do when faced with a situation in which a staff member believes an animal or person is being abused.
Familiarize yourself appropriate laws and authorities
First and foremost, you should do research regarding laws within your state surrounding animal abuse, if you haven’t already. Understand what your state defines animal abuse and neglect as. Understand the specific laws in your state pertaining to a veterinarians obligation to report abuse.
Familiarize yourself on signs of abuse
This is important in order to properly identify situations involving abuse. All staff within the veterinary hospital should receive training on identifying signs of animal abuse, as well as domestic abuse.
Educate your clients and begin the conversation upon new client arrival
Sometimes, individuals can unintentionally abuse their pets. Some pet owners may not be aware of the proper way to teach a dog to sit. Some owners are unaware of the temperatures in which dogs shouldn’t be left outside for too long. By educating all clients when they come in with a new puppy or reiterating proper care with new clients who have older animals, you could break a possible cycle of abuse. You can also develop a policy in which staff members ask all new clients a series of questions that can help your clinic gain a better understanding of how their pets are cared for at home. Several questions you can ask include: Are there any safety concerns at home that you would like us to know about? Are you experiencing any obstacles in providing care? What are your family member’s attitudes towards your pet?
Develop a Protocol
After you have familiarized yourself with signs of abuse and appropriate laws and authorities, it is important to develop a hospital policy. This will ensure that all possible cases of abuse are handled in the most effective manner and will be consistent. Who should the staff go to when they suspect abuse? What type of documentation should be prepared? Will authorities be contacted and if so, what authorities will be contacted? This will allow all staff members to feel comfortable in knowing they could respond appropriately.
Record Keeping and Documentation
Once you suspect a situation involving abuse, it is important to begin keeping detailed records and documentation regarding everything you witness. If the situation is reported, the authorities will likely ask you about the events you witnessed. Having detailed notes about everything will be very important!
Have pamphlets on hand
Having pamphlets on hand can be helpful in order to educate the client regarding proper care of pets. You can also have a few pamphlets available with information and resources for individuals suffering from domestic abuse. It doesn’t hurt to have them on hand in case you are in a situation where it would be appropriate to provide clients with the information. It is important to always remember that these situations can be complex. There are many reasons why people abuse their animals, commit domestic violence, or stay in abusive relationships. Remain non-judgmental at all times and try to be as direct as possible when sharing any information.
Have a relationship with local domestic violence shelter
It can be a good idea to get in contact with a local domestic violence shelter or domestic violence resource center. This will allow you to develop a good relationship with those who work there so you can direct victims there. You can also take advice from the shelter on what to do when faced with a possible abusive situation at your hospital.
Abuse of any form can be a touchy subject. By adhering to a few of the tips above, your veterinary hospital can feel confident in knowing that if an abused client or patient comes to you, you will know what to do!
Resources
https://ebusiness.avma.org/Files/ProductDownloads/AVMA%20Suspected%20Animal%20Cruelty.pdf
https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/180915a.aspx
https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/animal-cruelty-facts-and-stats