Introduction
Having a dog can be one of the most enjoyable parts of any person’s life. Not only is a dog a pet, but he or she is part of the family. People love their dogs no matter what breed they are, and they enjoy giving their dogs all of the perks that other members of the family have.
Even if you are not a dog owner, you can thoroughly enjoy the close relationship that these canines have with their families. They are a special member of any family, not only providing protection, but also a friendly face that greets every member of the family each time they walk to the front door.
A Dog’s Animal Instincts Can Be Dangerous
Despite all that they bring to a family, there are instances where your dog, or the dog of another may bite someone. You may find that you are out on a walk when your dog may bite some person that is passing by, or you may be the victim of a dog bite yourself.
In all cases, it is important that the person who was bitten takes the proper legal steps to protect themselves and the community as a whole. This means filing a report with the local police department explaining what has happened, the circumstances surrounding it, and who was involved so that the local authorities can take appropriate actions.
Well, your dog may not be a serious threat to the society, but this should be established by the local authorities. If you have been bitten by someone’s dog, you should ensure that proper precautions are being taken so that this kind of incident never happens again. This is why it is important that you file a report.
What Happens When a Dog Bite is Reported
After you have filed a report, you may wish to know what action has taken place. It seems so often that we file some kind of paperwork with our government, only to find that it goes nowhere whatsoever. It’s just stored in a file cabinet or added to a database somewhere and nothing seems to get resolved related to that. This may make you wonder; what happens when a dog bite is reported?
In most cases, the first step that is taken is that the dog is quarantined for a few days. What this usually means is that the animal remains at its owner’s home, but the owner is instructed to not let the dog outside of the house or yard area, so that it could not come in contact with anyone else. As long as the owner abides by this restriction, the dog is usually allowed to remain there until a final disposition is reached.
If it is found that the owner is not abiding by this order or if the dog is determined to be too much of a threat by animal control agencies or by the local police department, it can be taken to a shelter where it is quarantined for a few days until a determination is made.
It should be noted that if a court, Police Department, or other governing authority has determined that the owner is incapable of following the directive, this does not bode well for the final disposition of the dog. In the majority of cases, when a dog is removed from the home to be quarantined, rarely does the dog ever wind up returning. This is why it is essential that the owner takes every step necessary to ensure that the dog remains in a quarantined atmosphere.
Steps Taken After the Report is Filed
Once the dog is placed in the quarantine, investigation is started to determine if the dog falls into one of three categories: minimal risk to the public, potentially dangerous dog, or vicious dog.
To make such a determination, the governing authority starts by seeing if there are any other known incidences where the dog has bitten or acted in a harmful manner toward someone else. All documentation is gathered to find if this dog will pose a threat to others in the future.
In addition, the dog is tested to make sure that it contains no known diseases so that it does not pose a risk to the person who was bitten or to the general public. In some instances, a dog is known to act in a vicious or malevolent manner because of some illness in which it is suffering from. If this is the case and the disease is easily treatable, it is often determined that the dog poses a minimal risk to the public.
What You Should Concern Yourself With
If the governing authority determines that the dog falls into either the potentially dangerous dog or vicious dog categories, steps are taken to protect the animal and the public from it, e.g., it is confined behind a fence or other restrictive barrier so that it cannot escape or come in contact with anyone else other than its owner.
Moreover, if children are present on the property, the dog has to be removed to protect those who are under the age of 18. It is not uncommon for a dog to be taken when small children are present.
If a dog is labeled as vicious, this usually means that it is such a severe danger to the public that it will likely be euthanized. While this is not an action that the court or other governing body likes to take, they must act in a manner that protects the general public as well as those who own the dog. It is often found that the only means to be able to do that is to euthanize the dog so that it poses no further risk.
How JacksonWhite Can Help
Should you have a dog that is involved in an incident where it has bitten someone, you should ensure that you are abiding by the guidelines set up by the governing body, so that a decision is more likely to fall in your favor. If you have been victimized by a dog in an attack and are looking to seek legal action, please contact our personal injury team right away.
While we love and care about dogs here at JacksonWhite, we believe that if you are suffering from a dog bite attack that you deserve to compensated fairly for this trauma.
Call our Personal Injury team at (480) 467-4392 to discuss your case today.
