- SPCA will pay amputation victim in dog bite case

Published by -NAWA News Feed- in - Animal Law - · Saturday 12 Mar 2022

According to her attorney, a woman who had two fingers amputated after being attacked by a pit bull at the SPCA of Winchester, Frederick, and Clarke Counties reached an undisclosed settlement.

Lisa Bachtell filed a $1 million lawsuit against the nonprofit group in Winchester Circuit Court this month after the attack on Feb. 22, 2020. Bachtell had gone to the SPCA adoption center and animal shelter on Featherbed Lane with her teenage daughter with the hopes of adopting a puppy. According to the lawsuit, the pitbull was being exhibited to another potential adopter while Bachtell sat nearby. It got loose from its handler and Bachtell was bitten on her ring and pinky fingers of her right hand when she raised it to protect herself. Bachtell experienced "serious and lasting harm" to the muscles, structures, and tissues of her dominant hand, in addition to the amputations.

File photo

According to the woman's attorney, Robert B. Guntharp of Winchester, negotiations began in late November or December and a settlement was reached late last month. He wouldn't reveal how much she got, but he did say it was "quite satisfactory." As part of the deal, the SPCA doesn’t admit responsibility. That, according to Guntharp, is normal practice in personal injury case settlements.

According to the SPCA's website, it has had a contract with the city of Winchester since 1986 to provide treatment and home for abused, stray, and owner-surrendered animals. In 2020, 859 cats and 419 dogs were admitted, with 719 cats and 236 dogs being adopted.

On Thursday, Jennifer L. Gaylor, the president of the SPCA board of directors, did not respond to emails asking how many people have been bitten since the new adoption center opened in 2015, whether the dog that bit Bachtell was euthanized, and whether safety protocols have changed since Bachtell was attacked. Lavenda L. Denny, the executive director, did not return my call.

Bachtell was "shocked and disturbed" by the attack, according to Guntharp, and required two hand surgeries. Apart from the agony and emotional trauma, Guntharp said the 45-year-old was unable to continue working in a clerical position that required a lot of typing.

"Losing a finger is a lifelong injury. "You won't be able to regrow new fingers," he stated. “That is always an essential aspect in these circumstances. The constancy."