Here is a scenario. If you were going to a neighbors house to talk, and while in the neighbors home you see that the neighbors dog looks thin so you get the dogs bowl and give it to him. When you do this the dog then bites you, and you suffer medical expenses for stitches and lost time at work. Would you be able to sue under negligence? And if so how would you prove that? What other things could sue for?
Santa Basset
You need to talk to a lawyer.
Personally, I'd be pretty p*ssed if someone started feeding my dog without asking me.
Aleks
Did the neighbor asked me to touch the bowl? The food is very sensitive subject for animals so I'd say it is the guest's fault. I can try to sue and probably win but this will be a sad day.
B!nd!
This is a hard one because you were on your neighbour's property- and in their house when the dog bit you.
Did you have permission to feed the dog? Many dogs have food aggression problems- and if you asked your Neighbour if you could feed the dog they may have warned you about it.
I would talk to your lawyers about this issue.
As far as proof is concerned- you should have reported the dog to the council for biting- you will need this evidence in court.
You should also have your doctors certificates (you would have needed these to get out of work) and doctors reports as evidence of the dog bite.
flutterby
don't mess with a dog's food.
don't think you have a case to sue over.
thing
What country are you in? It depends on that.
In Ireland the owner would be liable for damages, though not necessarily considered as negligent.
Having said that I'm not sure what the law is in other countries, as this is so blatantly the fault of the person who took the dog's bowl and tried to feed their neighbour's dog. Everyone who knows dogs knows that otherwise good-tempered dogs might get nervous if a stranger took their food for no reason- and there was no legitimate reason given here for messing with the bowl. Was the neighbour there at the time? What did they say about the dog? Did the person have the neighbour's permission to be on the premises, because when it comes to trespassing different rules apply?
It's possible that the person who took the bowl was trying to provoke the dog into attacking.
You're looking for things to sue for? Why?
There's not enough detail in this question. If the person was invited in by a neighbour who asked him or her to feed their starving dog, then that person would have a case. If the person decided to walk into their neighbour's house and annoy the dog because they decided they know better than the owner, they probably don't have a leg to stand on.
Hope this gets sorted out fairly.
Rayven ~ Life's a B
Talk to a lawyer.
On a side note who are you or anyone else to go and feed the dog? Just because a dog is thin does not mean its being underfed. Most people think dog that are at the proper working weight and per the standard are thin because they are used to seeing OVERFED and under exercised dogs.
Glad I don't have friends or neighbor this dense or rude.
oregano13
Depends on your local laws. In most instances, if they had disclosed to their homeowner's insurance that they had a dog, they should be able to submit a claim to their insurance to cover your medical expenses. So discuss with them. You would also want to report the bite to Animal Control.
Really, you shouldn't have fed their dog. What many people think is 'thin' is actually a healthy weight- unless there were prominently visible ribs or hipbones, the dog was probably just fine. There are a lot of grossly obese pets out there whose owners think they are a good weight. People tell me my dogs are too thin constantly- they are not, they are an ideal weight, as confirmed by the vet. If the dog was obviously starving, the correct course of action would have been to contact animal control or local police to report abuse. Many dogs do have food aggression issues and it is unwise to feed a dog without owner permission.
Dendra L
Hmm, well dogs take food as a very sensetive subject, and some have territorial issues (like the one you described). You could call a lawyer, but I don't think it would help that much, maybe even make things worse, but I don't like it when people feed my dogs without asking me. No offense intended, but you seem a little eager to sue.
LuvurK9
You need to speak to a lawyer as you were on private property at the time of the incident.
The neighbor can be charged with animal cruelty. You stated that the animal was thin and underweight and that is why you went over. Contact your local humane society and have them come and assess the situation, that will also put their mis-treatment on record, this should get the ball rolling for the animal at least.
As far as the bite, the could be considered as unprovoked and a viscous animal because of the bite but, this is really something that is a thin line legally and needs to be discussed with a lawyer. If things with the Humane society show cruelty or mistreatment- that could work in your favor to.
The Humane Society should be able to advise you on what actions to take as far as your legal ramifications are concerned yet, first take care of that poor animal. He is propably scared and starving.
Reaper
You trespassed on to their grounds with or without a fence so there are no happy endings. You also came near a dog that was not your own. Mistake 2. You also attempted to feed a dog that was not yours and possibly hostile. Mistake 3
Orignal From: legal actions in dog bites?
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