Why New Hires Are at Greater Risk of Dog Bite Injury — Especially in the Animal Care Industry

In jobs involving animal handling, the risk of bites and other animal-related injuries is amplified and makes up a significant proportion of workplace incidents.

Starting a new job can be both exciting and overwhelming. For those working with animals, such as shelter workers, council rangers, veterinary staff, pet shop employees, and animal transport handlers, the stakes are even higher.

Multiple studies confirm that new hires are more likely to be injured on the job than experienced staff. In fact, one report found that workers are as likely to have an accident in their first six months of employment as during the rest of their working life combined ⁽¹⁾.

In industries where animal handling is part of daily life, that risk is amplified. This was highlighted in a recent study of the Australian veterinary industry, which found that 53.4% of veterinarians, 61.6% of veterinary nurses and 39.6% of veterinary students had experienced at least one animal bite in the previous 12 months. ⁽²⁾

Dog bites, scratches, and other animal-related injuries make up a significant proportion of workplace incidents in animal care, and many could be prevented through a better understanding of animal behaviour, safer handling techniques, and structured onboarding ^{(3, 4)}.

Why Are New Hires More Vulnerable?

1. Lack of Familiarity with Procedures

New employees are still learning how things are done: the order of tasks, organisation-specific protocols, and where the hidden risks are. Even those with prior industry experience may be unfamiliar with new equipment, animal housing layouts, or emergency procedures.

In animal care, rushing in when restraining a dog for examination, or an unfamiliarity with kennel or cattery door safety features, can place new staff at higher risk of animal-related injury.

2. Limited Experience with Animal Behaviour

While most onboarding covers the basics of handling, reading an animal’s subtle stress signals is a skill that develops with both practice and expert guidance. Research shows that misreading canine body language is a significant factor in dog bite incidents ^{(3, 6)}.

New hires may not yet be confident in recognising displacement, appeasement or avoidance behaviours, or important early warning signals in pets, and without this knowledge, even well-meaning interactions can become unsafe ⁽⁷⁾.

3. High Workload + Low Confidence = Trouble

In many animal care environments, chronic staff shortages and high demand mean new hires are “thrown in at the deep end.” They may be reluctant to ask for help, especially when trying to prove themselves. This reluctance can lead to risky handling decisions, such as attempting to move a fearful animal alone, when a more experienced colleague would call for backup ⁽⁴⁾.

4. Inadequate Induction or Onboarding

Fast-paced shelters, veterinary clinics, and animal control departments often run on minimal downtime. This can lead to rushed or inconsistent onboarding, where safety protocols are mentioned once and assumed to be remembered.

Without repeated reinforcement, especially on topics like safe preparation and considerate approaches prior to handling, how to achieve safety with minimal restraint, and bite and zoonotic disease prevention, new hires are left vulnerable ^{(1, 5)}.

Common Injury Risks for New Animal Workers

• Dog bites from misinterpreting stress signals or handling a fearful or aggressive animal without appropriate preparation or techniques ^{(3, 6)}
• Cat bites and scratches, particularly when lifting or restraining without recognising early warning signs ⁽⁵⁾
• Musculoskeletal injuries from lifting animals or heavy equipment with poor technique ⁽¹⁾
• Zoonotic disease exposure through improper PPE use or poor hygiene protocols ⁽⁴⁾
• Slips, trips, and falls in kennels, clinics, and wet animal housing areas ⁽¹⁾
• Stress and fatigue-related incidents, reducing situational awareness and reaction time ⁽⁵⁾

What Can Employers Do?

1. Prioritise Induction and Training

Every new hire, regardless of previous experience, should receive structured, role-specific training. This must include not just operational tasks, but also practical modules on reading animal body language, low-stress handling techniques, and bite prevention ^{(6, 7)}.

2. Adopt Safe Animal Handling Policies and Practices

Organisational policies that advocate the use of treats, time and force-free/low-stress techniques with pets create a culture that prioritises animal welfare and handler safety. Also recommended is having documented protocols and procedures incorporating these elements for common work tasks, alongside regular safety meetings and as-required “toolbox” meetings to update staff of new safety procedures and improvements.

3. Create a Mentoring System with a Compliance Checklist

Pair new hires with experienced handlers who can demonstrate safe techniques, serve as a contact point for questions, and guide them through both routine and tricky scenarios. 

A compliance checklist signed off with this mentor over the first month provides accountability and is an important organisational record, ensuring that essential skills are covered off, including knowledge of first aid kit locations and what to do if injured at work. Mentors can model best practice in real-time, helping to make protocols more tangible ⁽⁴⁾.

4. Encourage Questions and “Pause Moments”

Foster a workplace culture where it’s acceptable to stop and reassess, especially when dealing with an unknown animal. This simple habit can prevent countless injuries ⁽⁵⁾.

5. Communicate About Risk Openly

Normalise the fact that early-career incidents are common, not due to lack of care, but because of the steep learning curve ⁽¹⁾. This honesty encourages new hires to ask for help and reduces the pressure to “just get on with it.”

The First Few Months are the Most Dangerous

The first few months in any animal care role are the most dangerous for workers. With structured onboarding, practical animal behaviour education, supportive policies and ongoing mentoring, employers can significantly reduce the risk of injury.

Whether it’s a veterinary nurse handling an anxious dog or a shelter worker introducing themselves to a new arrival, every team member deserves the skills, knowledge, and confidence to work safely. And that’s not just good for staff, it’s better for the animals too.

How AnimalWise Training Can Help

At AnimalWise Training, we specialise in bite prevention, animal behaviour education, and fear free/low-stress handling techniques tailored to your workplace. Our training is practical, evidence-based, and designed to give your new hires the skills they need to stay safe from day one.

We offer live interactive online and face-to-face workshops, and with online learning modules in the pipeline, we provide flexible training solutions for shelters, councils, veterinary practices, and other animal care organisations.

 Learn more or book a program today at animalwisetraining.com.au

References

1. Health and Safety Executive. New to the job – vulnerable workers
2. Johnson L, Fritschi L.(2024) Frequency of workplace incidents and injuries in veterinarians, veterinary nurses and veterinary students and measures to control these. Aust Vet J., Sep;102(9):431-439. doi: 10.1111/avj.13354.
3. Fatjó, J., et al. (2015). Epidemiology of dog bite injuries in animal-related occupations. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 10(6), 480–485.
4. Shepherd, K. (2009). Behavioural medicine for veterinary practitioners. Elsevier Health Sciences.
5. Casey, R.A., et al. (2014). Human-directed aggression in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris): Occurrence in different contexts and risk factors. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 152, 52–63.
6. Overall, K.L. (2013). Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats. Elsevier.
7. Yin, S. (2009). Low Stress Handling, Restraint and Behavior Modification of Dogs & Cats. CattleDog Publishing.