Senate to Vote on Rabid Pet Quarantine Bill

A new bill enforcing quarantines for rabid pets has passed in Virginia’s House of Representatives. Now, it’s up to the Senate to sign off on the new law, which would require pet owners to quarantine their animals at home following court-issued confinement orders. The legislation comes on the heels of a brutal attack on a teenage girl in Fluvanna. The 14-year-old was attacked by her next-door neighbor’s dog, who later tested positive for rabies. Authorities had previously requested the dog be confined at home. The victim lost a finger in the vicious attack.

The Cost of an Attack

Dog bites are painful and, in some cases, traumatizing. Many people don’t realize that they can also be incredibly expensive. Victims must often bear the cost of emergency medical care, ongoing treatment, prescription medications, time off of work to recover, and therapy to cope with the psychological damage they sustain. While civil lawsuits can help hold negligent dog owners accountable, many feel they don’t go far enough to penalize the irresponsible. The new legislation could mean fines and misdemeanor criminal charges for pet owners who fail to adequately quarantine their animals.

Protection for Livestock, Not Humans

Existing laws provide more protection and recompense for livestock than for humans. For example, if a rabid dog kills someone’s chicken, the owner of the chicken is entitled to fair market value of the livestock they lost in the attack. For humans who sustain injuries from rabid dogs, there’s no guarantee they’ll see compensation in any form. We can only hope the Virginia Senate will vote to extend protections for citizens throughout the Commonwealth.

Dog Bite Lawyer Richard Serpe

Virginia dog bite lawyer Richard Serpe has 34+ years of experience helping victims of personal injuries. We have helped numerous victims to get the compensation they deserve. These clients include children, adults, mail carriers, delivery drivers, joggers, pedestrians, and others.