An Overview of Dog Bite Laws
If you or someone you know has experienced a dog bite, it is important to know what state laws can protect you. With that said, different states will have different levels of liabilities for dog owners. Whatever state you live in, you could receive financial compensation for the injuries you received that resulted from the attack. Dog bites can be dangerous. From the attack, a person can be affected in numerous ways. This can include, but is not limited to the following:
Anxiety resulting from the attack
Infection resulting from the bite
Other bodily injuries resulting from the attack Whether or not the dog bite resulted in an open wound, it is important to understand that there could be serious repercussions
…show more content…
Depending on the region, a pet owner can have either civil or criminal responsibility when it comes to his or her pet. At times, the pet owner can face both forms of liability. When studying the appropriate laws, consider speaking to an attorney who has experience in the matter. Many laws can be ambiguous and often confusing. If you are unsure if you have a valid claim, a knowledgeable attorney can help you understand if you have a valid claim under the current …show more content…
Since every dog-bite case will be different in accordance to its facts, it is important to speak to a proficient attorney. An attorney who has the appropriate experience can help you determine if you have a valid case in your specific state. Negligent Dog Owners
It is important to understand that many strict liability laws will not help individuals who have suffered injuries that were not a direct result of a dog bite. For example, if a person jogging down a street was startled by a growling dog, which then resulted on the person jumping into oncoming traffic, the owner will likely not be held liable for the accident. This is because there was not actual bite from the animal. While this is true in many states, there are other avenues in which a person can still file for a claim in attempt to receive restitution for his or her injuries. For instance, a person can claim that the injury sustained was due to the pet owner’s negligence. A negligent pet owner can be any of the following:
A pet owner who failed to meet the appropriate laws regarding fencing to ensure that the pet does not leave his or her
calculation to illustrate limitations of breed-specific legislation and decreasing the risk of dog bite-related injury.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 237.7 (2010): 788-792.
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 was put in place to make the public feel protected from dangerous dogs. The act was put in place due to the figures of dog attacks been on the rise. The act came into force on the twelfth of August 1991 and relates to dogs that are bred for fighting.
“Dog Bite: Fact Sheet.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC, 1 Apr. 2008. Web. 13
National Canine Research Council. Investigative Report for Dog-Bite Related Fatalities 2009. National Canine Research Council, 2010. 6-48. Print.
Enacting and enforcing strong leash laws is another very effective way to help reduce dog attacks and its easy to tell whether or not a dog has a leash on, unlike the difficulty of trying to determine the breed of some dogs. If a dog is on a leash the owner has control of it, even if said dog does lunge at someone. But leash laws can't just say you must have your dog on a leash. They also need to address dogs being tied out and left outside alone. Do...
There are breeds that can be classified as outlaws. How can that be? It is like judging a book by its cover, and is not that frowned upon? Society has gone so far with this that there are even laws banning pit bulls in certain counties. Fines have been put in place and outrageous insurance policies must be purchased simply to own a dog. A dog is just that, a dog, until someone comes along and makes it into a monster. A dog may be bred to do something and can be trained to do an entirely different thing. For example, pit bulls have been bred to be nanny dogs. They are supposed to protect babies and ultimately care for them like they would their own pups. Some people have taken this instinct and turned it into something horrid. They have twisted the dogs mind into thinking that it has to fight to protect something all the time. Pit bulls have been classified as vicious and harmful animals. This is discrimination and is because of media skewing stories, ignorant people that refuse to listen to hard facts, and public attitudes and opinions. These laws against breeds are unconstitutional; there is no legislative basis for these laws.
Dogs have impacted the lives of 44% of American families and homes. People use dogs for much more than just a family friend. Dogs are used for special needs, assisting police, and hunting and tracking. Dogs should be appreciated and never taught to fight or be neglected. Dog fighting is unethical because man’s best friend shouldn’t have to fight for their lives.
Pet monkeys also have a tendency to bite. They have different personalities so one cannot generalize, but some monkeys will be very aggressive, and
Nationwide, approximately 50 percent of all children will be bitten by a dog before they reach the age of twelve (DeIorio, “Have a Dog-Bite-Free Summer”). In Marion County, Florida, aggressive and dangerous breads of dogs are a “serious issue” for the community according to Marion County Commissioner Jim Payton (Thompson, “County drops '1 free kill'”). Responsible dog owners seem to be unaware of the problem but area residents who have been victims of these attacks have turned to the Marion County Board of Commissioners for help. The local County Commissioners have been wrestling with this issue since October of 2009 when a widow from Ocklawaha, Patricia McBee, had three of her dogs euthanized after they allegedly killed her neighbor’s cat (Thompson, “County drops ‘1 free kill’”). The need for change moved even faster after a 3-year-old little girl was attacked and killed by a dog that was chained to a tree outside her house in Citra (Lee, “Girl, 3, mauled”).
Sadly aggression is one of the most noted accounts for a dog owner to make the judgment to give up a pet. Sometimes, if a dog is considered behaviorally unsound and cannot be rehabilitated, euthanization is the last drastic step.
monetarily and otherwise - on pets, the importance of animal law is growing. Here's an
Hunting dogs, though tend to only be aggressive or violent when hunting. A hunting dog should not show aggression towards people. Though a dog can mistake a human as its prey and attack them. A hunting dog should be properly taught how to hunt certain animals and how to control their aggression.
Third, you should contact a firm of personal injury lawyers. The legal issues surrounding dog bites are often complex because most states (but not all) are strict liability jurisdictions. This means that dog owners are civilly liable for the dog bite as long as the victim neither trespassed nor provoked the dog. In some states, liability is automatic, while in others there are limitations upon it. A dog bite victim should seek counsel to determine if they reside in a strict liability state and to ensure they receive the maximum compensation allowed under the law.
Michigan State University College of Law. Animal Legal & Historical Center. Detailed Discussion of Dog Bite Laws.
Animal abuse for pets can range from neglecting to take care of the animal to the actual deliberate abuse of the animal such as beating, shooting, stabbing, or lighting the animal on fire.