Service Dog Shows Aggression to Hospital Nurse Trying to Render Care

There’s no question that many people consider their furry friends family. The thought of leaving a dog at home while being hospitalized for an indefinite length of time can be heartbreaking and some patients may not have anyone available to help look after their pets. So what happens? Do you claim your animal is a “service dog” and bring him or her with you? What if that dog is also aggressive?

I know of a patient who was admitted to the hospital for treatment of an infected dog bite. She had with her a beautiful German Shepherd with a shabby black vest with the words “Service Dog” written on it. It was night shift and the patient kept her room dark. The RN needed to enter the room periodically to administer medications, perform assessments, and collect vital signs and each time she opened the door, the dog viciously growled and barked. Now remember, this patient was literally in the hospital for an infected dog bite. Was it her own dog that bit her? The RN was obviously fearful of the dog and asked that the patient close the dog in the bathroom each time she needed to enter the room to render care. This caused unnecessary delays in care, put the RN at risk for injury, and frankly put other staff members and patients at risk as well.

Why this is a problem: The hospital did not have clear policies or procedures for this type of situation. Whether it’s lack of education on the topic, not having a point person to address the animal owners, or staff wanting to avoid the appearance of discrimination, this is something that can be corrected and avoided in the future. According to the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, hospital workers are allowed to ask service dog owners if the dog is a service animal required because of a disability and what work or task the dog has been trained to perform. These two questions alone may disqualify certain animals from entering the hospital. Emotional support or comfort animals do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. Furthermore, hospital staff can ask a service dog to be removed from the area if “it poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others”. Growling and barking are signs of aggression and therefore the RN’s safety was at risk.  The hospital should have a designated point person to address such issues so that the nurse feels empowered to stand up for her own safety as well as the safety of other caregivers. Nurses have enough on their plates without having to be worried that their patient’s German Shepherd is going to attack. Furthermore, imagine trying to sleep in the room next door to the barking dog. The hospital is a scary place.