Legal Consequences Of Dog Attacks And Relevant Licit Responsibilities
The legal consequences of dog attacks might be hard to discern at first but it has long-term implications. People have to suffer from law enforcement consequences if their dog bites another person on the road.
Dogs have emotions too, just like humans. They can feel a wide variety of emotions like happy, sad, angry, relaxed, agitated, depressed, calm etc. Understanding their body language is crucial for pet owners as an angry dog can attack anyone on the road which might lead the owner to face legal consequences.
(Also read: Vicious Dog Attack in Dublin Leaves Woman Fighting for Her Life)
In this post, the legal consequences of dog attacks will be discussed along with owners’ liabilities in such cases.
An overview of legal consequences of dog attacks
According to Section 21 of the Control of Dogs Act 1986, dog bites are treated medically as well as legally in Ireland. Legal actions after a dog attack in Dublin are outlined in the compensation against this law, which is dealt with accordingly by the lawyers.
The law clearly indicates that dog owners are accountable if their dog bites any other Irish citizen. The dog owners’ liability for attacks is counted for livestock or any neglect on the dog owner’s part if an injury is claimed.
The severity of the attack would determine how serious a legal implication could be for the dog owner. Dog owners’ responsibilities in attacks vary accordingly.
For example, if it is a level 1 attack (aggressive but no skin contact), it rarely leads to legal claims. It only involves rapid, loud barking of the dog, snarling or growling, which could be due to the dog’s own fear or anxiety in most cases.
If it is a level 2 attack (teeth making contact but not harming the skin) then it might involve any legal injury claims as well.
Level 3 (single dog bite with shallow skin wounds) can lead to legal consequences of dog attacks since such wounds require medical attention. Getting anti-viral injections, antibiotics for wound healing, or in severe instances, stitches or dressing are some of the conditions that indicate the owner’s negligence in dog handling, eventually, dog owners’ liability for attacks comes to play its part in a legal claim.
Levels 4, 5 and 6 are the most dangerous levels, the last being the one where the victim can die. It would inculcate how deep the injuries are, how many body parts were wounded and whether the dog has a history of aggression.
What happens after a dog attack in Ireland
Dog owners’ responsibilities in attacks can create serious implications for the dog bite victim. However, before making a claim, the victim has to take care of certain steps when reporting the incident to Gardai.
Take a look at how to proceed:
- The victim should have photos of his injury immediately after the dog attack incident
- Take photos of how the injury is healing day by day
- A formal medical record from the doctor who is treating the wounds would be a requirement by the law enforcement agency
- Keep the clothing safe and unwashed that the victim was wearing on the day of attack happened
- Having a written record of the time and date the incident happened would serve as a strong proof for the claim
- Keeping contact details of any witnesses would be a great addition to the said purpose
Dog warden regulations in case of dog attacks
A dog warden is a person who handles stray dogs in an area, encourages responsible dog ownership and charges a dog owner a fine if his dog attacks people in public areas.
Dog warden and law enforcement in dog attacks is as legal as complying with a law section. A dog warden can charge a fine for such an offence, which could save the dog owner from going to court to face charges.
Dog owners sometimes choose not to pay the fines and opt to deal with the case in court. The dog warden regulations in case of dog attacks include fixed penalties for:
- Having a dog without a licence
- Dog owner’s negligence to keep the dog under control in public
- Straying of the dog
- Not displaying dog identification with collar or tag
- Not letting the council know that the dog owner sold or gave away the dog under control conditions
