kt: Law about dogs being on a leash and dog fights?
If I am walking my dog on a leash, where dogs have to be on leashes by law, and someone comes running up with their dog unleashed, and my dog gets startled and bites the dog, would my dog be at fault or theirs?
My dog has a history of biting other dogs and if he does it again it will be bad. He is perfectly fine if he is on a leash and other dogs are too, he won't bother the dog at all, he just doesn't like when they run up to him abruptly. This is why we take him places where dogs must be on leashes. so who would be at fault in this situation?
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Answers and Views:
Answer by Caroline
The unleashed dog's owner will be at fault in all cases. If an unleashed dog attacks your leashed dog, then your dog is clearly reacting and thus is not at fault. In the human world, we call that "self-defense".
Answer by !There is no cure for ignorance!call a vet!
Simple answer: muzzle your dog and walk in the opposite direction to other dogs I would have thought after one bite you would have done something about this.
Answer by Nekkid Truth!
the owner of the unleashed dog is at fault.. their dog is not under proper control and able to freely walk up to a leashed dog. If all dogs are leashed, then fights can easily be prevented.
Answer by Sol
I sympathize, believe me. Common sense and simple fairness suggest that if your dog is leashed in accordance with the law, you can’t be held responsible if there’s an incident involving an unleashed dog.
Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. In some jurisdictions, if your dog bites, you’re liable, no matter what the circumstances. It’s perverse, and it’s stupid, and it punishes the responsible owners while the selfish entitled ones get a free pass, but that’s the way it is. Best to check the law wherever you live just to make sure.
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Answer by Pit Bull Passion
@There is no cure for ignorance -- there is no reason he should have to muzzle his LEASHED dog in a place where LEASHES are the LAW.
Last night, I was walking one of my APBTs. Now she is not dog-aggressive but I carry a rod around just in case because my neighborhood that I just moved into has a problem with containing their dogs properly.
We were walking and I noticed these 2 Cocker Spaniels that were in a yard off to the side... I thought "Great". Well, they came running out and attacked my APBT pup (6 months). I never gave my APBT a chance to react because I knew that would have ended badly. So I took my rod...and put one of the Cockers. The owners were outside and witnessed the whole thing. They went ballistic. I told them that their dogs should not have been on the street without a leash.
I called animal control and asked them about the situation. They said no worries, there is a leash law and everyone must obey it. They said its a good thing I called before they did because the law could have looked at it a totally different way.
Call your local animal control and tell them about the situation. Better you call first than the dumbass who got pissed off because your dog bit his.
Answer by Kelly + Eternal Universal Energy
It doesn't matter if your dog is the one who bites.. as long as he is on a leash, any other dog that runs up to him off-leash is a dog at large and the owner cannot come after you for damages for anything.
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You and your dog cannot be at fault so long as he is leashed and under your control. It is the law to leash your dog at all times, those who do not leash their dogs have no grounds to charge anyone for any damages or harm that may come to their dog.
Neither of my dogs likes other dogs unless they are young and female. Even then they are aggressive if any dog of any sex runs at us while we are walking. I've had it happen many times, and while my dogs have never bitten another dog, it could happen. This is why I get so very angry at all the irresponsible people who think it is acceptable to allow their dogs to run around off-leash and charge people walking their LEASHED dogs..
What I do is stop, have my dog sit, and then I yell at the top of my lungs at the owner. GET YOUR DOG ON A LEASH NOW! Then I usually give the offending dog the look, and command them NO! GET! ...usually, that works. I then inform the owner that it is a $ 125 fine for having a dog off-leash and inform them that if I see their dog off-leash again, I will report them.
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