Dangerous Dog Guidelines and Laws in PA
October 9, 2018
Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture enacted provisions regarding dangerous dogs in May of 1991, and these codes cover a multitude of topics concerning dogs including their housing, licensing, breeding and defining what the state considers a ‘dangerous’ dog. These codes delineate the responsibilities of a dog owner, and they include provisions to help governmental agencies enforce these laws.
Pennsylvania’s Dangerous Dog Laws
According to Pennsylvania law, a dangerous dog is defined as a dog who has been used in the commission of a crime, inflicted severe injury without provocation, inflicted injury or killed a domestic animal without provocation while outside of the owner’s property or simply attacked a person without being provoked. The dog must also have either a history of attacking without provocation and a propensity to attack. These laws do not apply when the human or animal provoked the attack or when the individual was willfully trespassing. Dog bites can be extremely serious. For the purposes of the law, a severe injury is considered one that causes disfiguring lacerations or broken ones that require cosmetic surgery or sutures.
Contact Pennsylvania’s Animal Attack Attorneys at Goodrich and Geist Now
Pet owners are responsible for the actions of pets in their care. In certain circumstances, dangerous dogs can be confiscated. Owners may even be charged with a criminal misdemeanor for harboring a dangerous dog. Victims who have been injured by a dog bite also have a right to seek compensation for their losses and injuries. If you’ve suffered from a dog bite, then contact the attorneys at Goodrich and Geist online to learn more about our services.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.
