Can you sue the previuos owners of a dog if you know the dog bites someone with the new owners?

Question

Im sorry if that was confusing. This is my problem. My parents have to take my dog off the property in order to renew their homeowners insurance. They have two choices put the dog to sleep, or give him to someone that wants him. I want the dog, but my mom had been told that if he bites again, as me being his owner, they can sue me and the previous owners. Is that true? And who can i call to talk about? Humane Society??

Answer 1

NO,this is not true but passing a biter or vicious dog to someone else does not alleviate the risk that is presently displayed by this animal.
Whomever owns the dog at the time the dogs bites is the person who is responsible for the animal and it's behavior.
I suspect your mother is afraid that if she passes on a dog that is already known to bite and the new owner gets sued for the dog biting someone else that the new owner will try to take her to court for passing on a known biter without telling them.
I suspect that your mother just wants the dog gone and not by passing it on but gone PERIOD.
Just because a dog bites once does not mean it will bite again.
You need to know why the dog bit for the first time. . . was it being tormented,was it just trying to be protective,was it feeling threatened or was someone/something bothering it's food?
As a responsible pet owner I NEVER allow my dogs to be around anyone unsupervised as NO ONE ever knows what will provoke a bite or when it will happen. . . . I have a neutered 42lb female Shepherd mix and an unneutered 14lb Yorkie.
As my Dad,Director of our local Animal Control once said. . "Anyone who tells you that their dog won't bite must have a dog with no teeth".
Any dog,anywhere,anytime will bite when they feel the need to protect themselves.
How old is the dog you speak of? Sometimes older dogs bite quicker and more often as their eye sight gets worse as they startle easier. . . .they bite first and ask questions later.

Answer 2

Sorry about your situation...unfortunately, your parents are partially right. If your dog has seriously bitten someone in the past, it's constructive evidence that you know that the dog is dangerous, and it makes it difficult to defend a lawsuit based on lack of knowledge of the dog's aggressive behavior. Not saying that you shouldn't take your dog, but it's definitely something to be aware of. It's unlikely that your parents would be sued unless the dog bit the victim on your parents' property, or unless they were the owners or caretakers of the dog.

Of course, the saying goes, "Someone can sue you anytime, anywhere, for anything," but, knowing that the dog has aggressive tendencies makes it more likely that you could get sued, if your dog were to bite someone.

Ultimately, you should contact an attorney to get more information about your legal liability for a dog that bites. Probably a personal injury attorney or real estate law attorney. Good luck!

Answer 3

If your mother relinquishes ownership of the dog to you and the dog bites someone, then YOU are responsible. The only time you could possibly sue the former owner would be if they knew the dog bites, was questioned about it, and lied. Of course the choice is yours to take the dog, but my advice would be to subject the dog to some obedience training once you do.

Answer 4

If you take the dog and the dog bites soemone then you are the one that is responsible. In other words you have the dog, it is your pet. The previous owner would not be held responsible unless you could prove that they had mistreated the dog. If you are still confused then you could talk to the Humane society.

Answer 5

you do not say how old your sister is, yet when she is sufficiently old to be operating, she is sufficiently old to seek suggestion from the dogs's proprietor and clarify the problem. If the dogs's proprietor has been attempting to the contact her, of direction he/she is worried. see you later because the dogs is up on its images, your sister shouldn't favor a rabies shot. you probably did not say how severe the bite grow to be. Did it ruin the floor? If 2 weeks have exceeded and he or she hasn't consulted a health care professional, i assume it wasn't severe sufficient to require stitches. in the experience that your sister calls for clinical interest, there's a good threat that the dogs's proprietor will be keen to pay for that with out dealing with the rate and difficulty of a lawsuit. There are severe priced filing expenses in contact by filing a lawsuit, and if she lost, she does no longer recuperate her expenses. There are too many frivilous proceedings filed. they ought to always be a very last hotel.

Answer 6

Id say to check with your state laws.
In ontario, if the dog was deemed a dangerous dog, then they owners got rid of the dog to someone else, and the dog bit again, the first owners are responsible as well. So, I believe this varies by area, reading the other answers. Sorry

Answer 7

Try talking to one of the breed rescue organizations for your type of dog. (ex: german shepherd rescue, labrador rescue, etc) Since they deal with one breed exclusively, they may have some information on training an aggressive dog or may be able to help with placement if you have to give him up.
My dog had never bitten anyone but I was able to get homeowner's insurance because the dog passed obedience training from a special school.

Answer 8

once the dog is in your care it becomes your responsibility