Advice in case of a bite incident
VECRA - Veterinary Expertise Centre for Risk Assessment
VECRA is an organisation within the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Ghent University, aimed at providing comprehensive and scientifically grounded expertise. Risk assessments are always carried out by two professionals, with the possibility of consulting experts from various disciplines, including veterinary behavioural medicine, psychology, biology, pathology, and law.
Thanks to its integration within Ghent University and its active collaboration with Utrecht University, VECRA guarantees a high standard of quality with broad access to knowledge and experience. This is why we refer to it as the Veterinary Expertise Centre for Risk Assessment, or VECRA for short.
Why?
Ultimately, the owner is responsible for their animal and for ensuring its safety in public spaces. Prevention is always better than cure, but when a bite does occur, it is up to the authorities to intervene in order to safeguard public safety. A thorough analysis of the situation is then necessary, along with an evaluation of how future incidents can be prevented.
The Veterinary Expertise Centre for Risk Assessment (VECRA) places great importance on assessing each animal in an objective and scientifically grounded manner. All aspects of the situation must be taken into account: factors related to the animal, the context in which it lives, its owner, the circumstances of the incident, etc.
By adopting a multidimensional approach, it is possible to develop a risk assessment that is as comprehensive as possible. This assessment does not only focus on the likelihood and severity of potential future incidents, but also considers preventive measures and the animal’s welfare.
Professionalism
VECRA aims to establish a professional framework for situations involving risk. For the execution of risk assessments, VECRA collaborates with experts from various disciplines: veterinary behavioural medicine, psychology, biology, pathology, and law. VECRA also maintains a direct connection with the risk assessment team at Utrecht University, which shares its expertise and years of experience with us.
VECRA also seeks to promote professional support for any issue related to behavioural disorders. This is why our team contributed to the development of standard professional profiles, which define strict criteria for the various roles within the field of animal behaviour. In doing so, we hope to help those concerned find the appropriate professional for their specific needs.
Please note: risk assessments or guidance for dangerous behavioural disorders may only be carried out by the following categories of professionals > clinical animal behaviourist / veterinary behaviourist.
- More information on animal behaviour professionals: qualified animal behaviour professionals
- Looking for HELP? guided menu for support requests
Fixed point of contact
Before the creation of VECRA, there was no clear framework for conducting risk assessments. Yet, for local authorities, it is essential to respond quickly in the event of an incident in order to ensure safety within their municipality. That is why they can quickly contact VECRA to initiate a risk assessment.
Due to a conflict of interest, VECRA cannot conduct risk assessments for private individuals. However, we aim to guide concerned individuals toward appropriate assistance via the guided menu for support requests.
In this way, we hope to ensure a professional service for anyone who is concerned about an interaction with an animal.
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