Need info on dog law in CA

[lisa_burt58]

I need help! I had an incident yesterday and I need toresearch my liability under CA law.

I own 2 pit bulls. I want to preface this by saying that I am a very responsible pet owner and I take dog ownership very seriously.

Yesterday my niehgbor's chihuahua crawled through a hole in my fence. My dogs were in my yard and safely penned in. When the chihuahua crawled through my dogs went after it. As soon as I realized what was going on, I went outside and started to break up the fight. The owner of the chi and his son were looking over the fence. The owner instructed his son to climb over the fence and help me. Together we caught my dogs and handed the chi back over the fence to the owner. As the son and I were looking for the hole where the dog got through we realized 2 things. First, my dogs had made a hole in the fence, not large enough for them to get through but large enough for a chi to get through. Second, I realized that my nieghbor, while being a dog owner himself, didn't have a fence put up on his side.

After the incident, I went over and checked on the son and the chi to make sure that everyone was ok. The son had some cuts on his hand but nothing that even remotely resembled a bite of any sort.

My husband and I have mended our fence and given the nieghbor plywood to make a fence on his side.

I don't know if these guys have a case but I don't want to get sued either. Does anyone know where I can research Dog Law in CA?

[Lucky Rescue]

Do you mean Canada, or California? The laws are probably different.

I have a pit bull too, so I know how you feel. Are these people threatening to sue you, and on what grounds - that your fence is not properly maintained?

If the Chi had any vet bills, you should offer to pay them. If the son got scratched breaking up the fight then he can't really say which dog scratched him - it could have been his own.

I'm sure someone here can tell you what the law would say in this case.

[Spoiled]

If the dog went on your side, how could they sue you? Especialy since your dogs were in their pen.

[lisa_burt58]

I live in California. I don't know if the guy has a case but I keep thinking about robbers that break into people's houses, hurt themselves and then sue the homeowner and win.

The only thing he may have was that our fence wasn't properly maintained but he doesn't even have fence on his side, just leftover trellis scraps.

The chi didn't have any vet bills. There wasn't even a scratch as far as I could see. And they didn't take the son to the doctor.

I guess I am just really nervous because I don't want anything to happen to my dogs. I just want to cover my bases.

Thanks for your help!

[mona_b]

I really don't think you have anything to worry about.

I'm sure they know that it's their fault.

But PLEASE just make sure your fence is safe and secure.No holes or anything.Just keep checking for any and have them fixed right away.

Also,just make sure that the neighbour fixes his side properly.Just so it doesn't happen again.

Have a coffee and relaxe