Can You Face Charges When Your Friend's Dog Attacks Someone When Taking It For A Walk? Find Out

Posted on

Walking a pet is very enjoyable, especially in the evening when you want to relax your mind. However, your walk can turn tragic, and you might get in trouble with the authorities. For instance, you could be walking your friend's dog, but suddenly it attacks a passerby. This might prompt them to take legal action against you, and you could face charges for failing to control the canine. However, there may be defenses to these charges, and a dog bite lawyer can raise them in court to prove your innocence. Your attorney may want you to know the following about this crime and the possible consequences.

What the Law States about Walking Someone Else's Dog

In most cases, dog owners take full responsibility for their pet's actions. However, there are instances when the law may transfer liability to someone else. For instance, if someone is walking a friend's dog and it bites an innocent person, they may be held financially liable for the incident. In this case, the judge may hand them a similar punishment as they would if the canine's owner was at fault. However, your lawyer can challenge this ruling, so you won't pay the complainant's medical fees.

For instance, they can argue that you never knew the dog was violent and expected them to be well-behaved during the walk. Additionally, your legal advisor can argue that the plaintiff provoked the canine, which led to the attack. In that regard, they can get witnesses to give an account of the incident, demonstrating that the complainant provoked the canine before the attack. A witness statement might convince the jury that you never did anything wrong. 

What the Law States about Harboring a Dog

A harborer may also be held liable for the dog's actions. However, they must have kept the animal for several days continuously. This ensures that they have enough time to learn the animal's behavior. Therefore, if you have been walking the dog for the period specified in your state laws, you may retain liability in a dog bite case. Your lawyer can use different defenses to prove that you were not at fault. They will argue that you had only kept the canine for a few days, and it had not attacked anyone during this period. That means you never knew the dog could turn violent. 

As seen above, you could face severe consequences if a friend's dog attacks someone when under your care. However, you should not pay for the crime if you had nothing to do with the attack. With the help of a personal injury law attorney, you can prove your innocence and evade the punishment.  

For more information, contact a local personal injury attorney


Share