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Hoping some of you more lawyer-esque types around here will have some ideas.
Back in June, my family and I were at Bells Ferry Park attending our local SCA (http://www.sca.org) group's fighter practice (SCA is an international medieval re-enactment group. Fighter practice is where we put on our armour and practice medieval style fighting.)
Anyhue...one of the couples who are in our group had just gotten a dog (unsure of type, kinda long haired, about the size of a cocker spaniel) from the Animal Shelter a couple of weeks before, and brought it to practice. My wife was sitting in her lawn chair watching our 5 year old (about 4' in front of her) when this couple arrived and sat down beside her to start chatting. Dog *was* on a leash, and it sat beside Dasha (the 5 year old). Owner let her pet the dog, and being a typical 5 year old who loves animals, she did so.
After several minutes, in which the child did nothing wrong other than to carefully pet the dog, something in it snapped and viciously attacked her, lunging for her throat and biting her on the neck. The bite was pretty deep, and she also got a large, deep scratch from the dog's nails.
We rushed her to the hospital to have her checked out. Deepest tooth mark was about 3/4 of an inch from the jugular, and had it hit it, it was deep enough to puncture. Hospital cleaned the wounds, gave her a tetanus shot, bandaged, and sent us on our way.
Now, a month and a half later, the hospital and doctor who saw her finally got around to sending us the bill (after insurance paid their part). Both come to about $350.
And the kicker? The owners of the dog are trying to say they are no responsible, due to "51-2-7" in Georgia law...which can be seen here:
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2003 ... 1-2-7.html
Thanks ahead of time...
Back in June, my family and I were at Bells Ferry Park attending our local SCA (http://www.sca.org) group's fighter practice (SCA is an international medieval re-enactment group. Fighter practice is where we put on our armour and practice medieval style fighting.)
Anyhue...one of the couples who are in our group had just gotten a dog (unsure of type, kinda long haired, about the size of a cocker spaniel) from the Animal Shelter a couple of weeks before, and brought it to practice. My wife was sitting in her lawn chair watching our 5 year old (about 4' in front of her) when this couple arrived and sat down beside her to start chatting. Dog *was* on a leash, and it sat beside Dasha (the 5 year old). Owner let her pet the dog, and being a typical 5 year old who loves animals, she did so.
After several minutes, in which the child did nothing wrong other than to carefully pet the dog, something in it snapped and viciously attacked her, lunging for her throat and biting her on the neck. The bite was pretty deep, and she also got a large, deep scratch from the dog's nails.
We rushed her to the hospital to have her checked out. Deepest tooth mark was about 3/4 of an inch from the jugular, and had it hit it, it was deep enough to puncture. Hospital cleaned the wounds, gave her a tetanus shot, bandaged, and sent us on our way.
Now, a month and a half later, the hospital and doctor who saw her finally got around to sending us the bill (after insurance paid their part). Both come to about $350.
And the kicker? The owners of the dog are trying to say they are no responsible, due to "51-2-7" in Georgia law...which can be seen here:
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2003 ... 1-2-7.html
Which, to my layman's eyes, basically says if the dog is on a leash, it is free to attack anybody it wants, and the owners are not responsible... What kind of bullshit law is that?51-2-7.
A person who owns or keeps a vicious or dangerous animal of any kind and who, by careless management or by allowing the animal to go at liberty, causes injury to another person who does not provoke the injury by his own act may be liable in damages to the person so injured. In proving vicious propensity, it shall be sufficient to show that the animal was required to be at heel or on a leash by an ordinance of a city, county, or consolidated government, and the said animal was at the time of the occurrence not at heel or on a leash. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to domesticated fowl including roosters with spurs. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to domesticated livestock.
Thanks ahead of time...