When you become a dog owner, you have a certain degree of legal responsibility that comes with that ownership. You have to maintain your dog and keep your dog under control. When a dog gets out of control, you are responsible for their actions and the result may be the loss of your dog’s life because you were considered negligent in doing so. Most courts have no sympathy for a dog owner when their dog ends up biting someone and causing injury. Dog attacks are on the rise and because of this increase, more laws are going into effect to protect everyone involved.
Many people believe that dogs are the best way to protect themselves, their family members, and their home when they don’t want to protect themselves with a gun or other type of defense. If someone chooses to have a dog for protection, they are most likely going to choose a large dog such as a German Shepard or Rottweiler. These breeds are large and very loyal to their masters making them the perfect protection against anyone who wants to cause harm to the one they are loyal to.
If you were bitten or even threatened by a dog, what do you do? The first thing to do is to report it to your local law enforcement. When you report it, you should be prepared to give the following information to them:
• Your name
• You location when the attack or threat happened
• The date and time the attack or threat occurred
• The specific details of the attack or threat
• Contact information for any witnesses that may have seen it.
• The detailed description of the dog that attacked or threatened you – breed, size and color is very important details
• Name of the dog owner or handler if you know it.
If you have received an injury due to a dog bite, you need to wash the wound with soap and warm water, if possible. Place pressure on this wound and go seek medical attention. Once you are seen by medical staff, you need to then contact a personal injury lawyer. When you receive a serious bite from a dog, this can involve punctured skin, stitches, and sometimes prolonged healing.
It is important that you take pictures of your injury as well as the scene around you before you leave when possible. If your injuries prevent you from doing this, you need to find a witness that can take pictures of the scene for you and then obtain their contact information to contact them later to obtain a copy of the photos. Most dog bites are covered under the dog owner’s home insurance policy and will need to be reported immediately following the injury. Contacting a personal injury lawyer in Lethbridge as soon as you can will improve your chances of getting compensation for your injuries.