WHO IS RESPONSIBLE WHEN MY DOG BITES A PETCO EMPLOYee?

Question

EMPLOYEE CLIPPING MY DOGS NAIL GETS BITTEN CAUSE HE DONT LIKE TO GET IT CLIPPED. AND WARNED BEFOREHAND THAT HE IS A BITER. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS MEDICAL BILLS AND LOST WORK.

Answer 1

The person from Petco who answered is correct. Petco & PetSmart both have their employees covered by Workers Comp in the case of dog bites and other animal injuries. I am a groomer at PetSmart and our rules are the same as what Petco's is.

If any pet parent warns me that their dog is a biter, we do muzzle the ones that can be muzzled (breathing challenged pets can not be muzzled) and take extra care to avoid being bit.

I'm sure you feel bad that this happend; but, it is part of being a groomer and that is the chance that we take anytime we do anything to a pet.

I do have to commend you for warning the person beforehand that your dog bites. You would be surprised at how many people refuse to believe that their "perfect little angel" would even think about biting anyone.

Answer 2

If you warned the PETCO employee that your dog was likely to bite, he/she was irresponsible for NOT using a muzzle or having someone to safely restrain the dog.

Besides.....getting bit is a hazzard of the trade! If you work with animals, sooner or later, you are bound to get nailed! As a vet tech, I've been bitten many times and it was almost always my own fault. Most of the time, the owner of the dog would assure me that a muzzle was not needed because little Bitzy would never bite, despite the fact that my personal experience and my training told me the opposite.

Animals can be unpredictable in different situations and no dog enjoys having their nails cut. When the bite was severe enough to require medical treatment, my boss the vet paid the bill and in my own personal opinion, PETCO should take care of the employees medical bills.

If an animal's owner gave me prior warning....I took heed and used a muzzzle!

Answer 3

I am a groomer at Petco. If someone gets bitten by your pet, Petco immediately sends the employee to the hospital for treatment. They are insured for this. You are not responsible for treatment.Any lost work time is covered by the company.

It is Petco's policy that ANY injury, even a scratch, gets looked at by management and written up as an incident in case there are complications. Say what you will about the company but they are very responsible when it comes to the safety of their employees and also it's customers.

If your pet should be injured while in our care, they are rushed to the vet, even for the smallest problem. Injuries are few but occasionally a pet will get nicked by clippers or something.

No pet is ever put in a heated dryer and our dryers have 15 min timers. Every 15 min. someone is required to check all the kennels to assure the well being of your pet. All pets have water in their cages. You can get fired for not following safety guidelines.

I know this is much more than you asked, but I hear too many people assume we are out to grab your grooming fees and treat your pets like an object. That is not true. We are in this business because we love animals and are dedicated to working with them.

Answer 4

Petco is. When one of our employees is injured, and it does happen no matter how careful you are, it's a Workman's Comp. case. First of all, it was Petco's responsibility is to make sure he was properly trained, or he shouldn't be doing that job unsupervised. If a dog owner tells you his dog might bite, why would you NOT muzzle the dog??!!

Petco's responsibility is also to make sure the employee goes to the doctor to have the wound treated. You are responsible for following the county's rules as far as having your dog examined by a vet for rabies following the bite. Different counties have different protocols. Our county requires an exam the 1st and 10th day after the bite if the dog is current on his rabies vaccine. If it happens at our hospital, we usually waive the exam fees, but we follow all the proper procedures and paperwork for the county. Petco probably won't pay for these exams, but be sure to have them done anyway. It can be a pain for you from the county if you don't.

Answer 5

I would think that Petco would be responsible for not muzzling the dog after being warned that he is a biter. Muzzling / restraining a potential dangerous animal is common sense when working with animals..... The employee should be liable for failing to follow standard operating proceedures.

Answer 6

I want 2 say u are, but on the other hand u did warn them and it was their irresponsibility they did not muzzle the dog after being told the dog will bite. I do not think anything will come out of this as they take chances like this when they are in this business just like vets do, but they did not take precautions and that is their fault.

Answer 7

You'll properly find both parties are responsible, Even though you warned them he is a biter you should have put a muzzle on him. Also they knew he was a biter and they took that risk. Hope the bite isn't serious. good luck

Answer 8

You are.
True, you may have warned him beforehand, but it is YOU that took him to get his nails clipped. If you know that he is a biter, it is YOUR responsibility to put a muzzle on him.

Answer 9

His employer is.Hes at work so its petcos responsibility to pay his bills.He should have muzzled the dog so he negligent by not doing that.

Answer 10

i would think that petco would have insurance in place for just such an incident/mishap occurring to employees...... biting should certainly be expected when you work with strange animals all day long.

and yes,,,, you are liable for what your animal does.