
Keep a reasonable distance between you and strangers when walking your dog.
Legal Issues When Your Pet Dog Causes Injury
Dog owners must obey local laws and understand their responsibilities regarding the ownership of a dog. If someone is bitten or otherwise injured by your dog you may face legal consequences. You need to carry dog bite insurance, either through your renters or homeowner’s coverage or as a standalone product. This will help pay any legal and medical costs incurred in the event an incident occurs.
It may help your case if you can prove the animal was pestered in some way and that it wasn’t an unprovoked attack. For example, if a child was teasing and/or being cruel to your animal and it responded in defense of itself, you may not be held liable in a court of law. It’s very helpful to notify the parents when you actually observe their child teasing or behaving cruelly, and have witnesses or video evidence substantiating this fact.
Anytime someone mistreats a dog, whether rocks are tossed or thrown, or someone witnesses another person hitting a dog, these incidents should be reported to the local authorities as well as humane organizations. This is helpful in establishing a legal defense for the animal by documenting acts of cruelty for which the law could mandate incarceration or psychological treatment for the offender.