Tuck the Law Dog

Tuck the Law Dog
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Thursday, May 5, 2011

"Dog Bites" and the Law

Mom says she doesn't worry about me biting anyone  that comes to the office--'cause all I want to do is give everyone non-stop kisses!  I just love to greet Mom & Dad's clients.  But even so, Mom has a gate on her office door and keeps me in there when a client comes that hasn't met me before.  Dad also doesn't allow me in his office when he is meeting with a client, 'cause I just want to sit in their lap and be scratched!  Sometimes the client asks if I can come in and sit with them--they are so nice to me.   But on the serious side, pet parents should excercise great caution when introducing a dog to someone new.  Don't let a dog run up to a stranger.  Don't let us dogs run loose with no supervision.  Don't let children approach a dog without asking permission of the handler.   If there is any concern at all in how a dog and a person will react to each other, keep the parties apart, and allow each to take his time in getting to know the other.  Dogs can react to a frightening situation by biting, and dog bites can have serious legal and financial ramifications.
"Dog Bite" laws vary by state and not only include bites but attacks and maulings as well.  Some state laws take into consideration the dog's propensity to be dangerous; whether the petparent knew the dog was dangerous; whether the petparent was negligent; whether there was provocation to make the dog bite, for example, taunting the dog or poking the dog with an object; whether the person bit was on private or public property; some states laws take into consideration whether the peron bit  was aware of a "Dangerous Dog" sign; whether the state has a "leash law;" trespass issues by the person bitten; etc.   In my opinion, the best remedy is to proceed with caution when your dog is meeting someone new or when bringing your dog into an environment likely to agitate the dog.  Don't leave a dog tied up so that it feels its only defense when approached by a stranger is to bite or attack.  If you are gong to keep my dog buddies tied up all the time--you really should consider finding the dog another family that will make it an important and respected part of the family and not treat it like a piece of property and not a family member--which will be my topic another day.   Parents, keep a firm grip on your dog,  your children, and the situation. 

Take care, ya'll,

Tuck the Law Dog

***"Tuck offers this above article for informational purposes only.  Anyone bitten by a dog or who has a dog that has bitten someone, could benefit from the advice of legal counsel  pertaining to the laws and codes of the jurisdiction where the incident occurred, if necessary.''

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