August 24, 2008

Albany Georgia struggles with Pros and Cons of Restricting Certain Breeds to Prevent Dog Bites

I ran across this editorial on an Albany Georgia television site about dog bites and vicious dog attacks. The author tackled a difficult issue: what controls should there be on the ownership of certain breeds of dogs including Pitt Bulls, Dobermans and some strains of German Shepherd. As an Atlanta dog bite lawyer, I have litigated enough cases to know that some of those breeds can be very aggressive to humans and can cause serious injuries when they are. According to the article, there are a number of States that are considering a ban on certain breeds.

The most interesting proposal on the piece is the bond proposal and I will tell you why it is meritorious. I have a client that was in his own yard when he was attacked by the neighbor down the road's unrestrained Pit Bull. The County where the attack occurred had leash laws and the owner was clearly in the wrong. The problem is, the owner had allegedly allowed their homeowner's insurance to lapse. We are now litigating that issue in Court but it appears that there will be no insurance to cover the matter. As a Georgia dog bite lawyer it is frustrating to watch someone's life turned on its ear because another Georgian ignored the leash laws.

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August 6, 2008

Dalton, Georgia Dog Attacks Young Child

A five year old boy was mauled by a stray dog in Dalton Georgia and it could have been prevented. Unfortunately more and more people are buying Pit Bulls, Dobermans and cross-bred Chau dogs. These dogs can be fine when well trained and restrained but they can be very aggressive with small children.

The problems arise when dog owners either don't take the time to train their dogs or, even worse, ignore and abuse their own dogs. Those dogs become aggressive and pose a serious threat to the public. Most counties and cities require that a dog be kept on leash, on a chain or confined by a fence at all times. In Georgia, if a dog attacks a human and a Plaintiff comes before the Court to hold the owner liable, the Court will inquire as to whether 1) there were prior indications that the dog was aggressive towards humans and if not; 2) whether the owner was in violation of the leash and restraint laws at the time of the attack. Either avenue can support a potential liability claim against a homeowner.

georgia dog attack

According to the article "Boy mauled by dog" written by reporter Kim Sloan with the Dalton Daily Citizen, Murray County Animal Control had been called several times and failed to take any action at all. This is a serious injury that could have been averted and now will leave the child scarred for life.

If you have other questions please contact me as I handle dog bite cases as I am a Georgia Personal Injury Attorney that handles dog bite cases in Dalton.

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