Guarding Against Liability If You Own A Vicious Dog

Posted on: 29 October 2016

Being a dog owner comes with a lot of responsibilities, especially if your dog could be deemed as "vicious." According to the law, a dog's breed doesn't define whether or not it is considered vicious, but rather its actions. If your dog has shown signs of aggression toward people, you need to take special precautions to ensure that you don't become legally liable for any injuries your dog might cause in the event of an accident.

Here are three specific things that you can do to prevent financial liability in a dog bite case.

1. Construct a sturdy fence around your property.

If your dog attacks someone on your property, it's important that you are able to prove that the individual was trespassing. This places the individual in a restricted area, releasing you from any liability that you may incur as a result of your dog biting that individual.

Constructing a sturdy fence and posting signs warning of the presence of your dog will help to keep potential victims away from your dog and prevent your dog from running loose on the streets.

2. Walk your dog with a muzzle.

The best way to ensure that you aren't liable for financial damages that a victim might incur when bitten by your dog is to prevent the bite from taking place. If you know that your pet has a history of showing aggression, then you should take the necessary precautions to keep the public safe while walking your dog off your property.

Putting a muzzle on your dog whenever you walk him or her will prevent a dog bite from taking place.

3. Never leave your dog unattended in the presence of strangers.

If an individual does something to provoke your dog into attacking then you are not legally responsible for covering the cost of any damages that individual may incur.

To ensure that you are able to prevent an attack (or provide accurate information to a police officer in the event an attack takes place), you should never leave your dog unattended while you are in the presence of strangers. Remaining with your dog will help you recognize dangerous behaviors that others may be engaging in and stop these behaviors before they escalate into a dog bit scenario.

Having your dog be deemed vicious because of his or her aggressive behavior towards others requires you to take extra precautions in order to keep the public safe. Building a fence, keeping a muzzle on your dog, and remaining with your dog when he or she is around strangers will help you avoid being liable for financial damages in the event your dog does bite someone in the future.

For more information, talk to a professional like Law Office of Daniel E Goodman, LLC.

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