Legal Question in Civil Litigation in California

Re: Dog/cat fight

Your question is a bit ambiguous. You say that your dog "bit through her leash", which suggests that she otherwise would not have been able to reach the cat. On the other hand, you say that the boss knew the cat could have been harmed if it walked out the back door, which suggests that even with the leash intact the dog still would have been able to reach the cat.

Cats are intelligent and most will stay away from a large, unfamiliar dog if they can -- especially if the dog appears hostile. Letting his cat wander around near a dog that is tied up was not negligent unless the boss should have known that it would necessarily pass through the dog's range.

On the other hand, using a leash which was too weak to restrain your dog probably was negligent. If the only reason the dog was able to reach the cat was that she bit through her leash and escaped, then you are probably at fault for having failed to adequately restrain her.

If she would have been able to get to the cat while tied up then your boss is at least partially responsible, though the extent of his responsibility depends upon whether the cat could have escaped and avoided some of his injuries had your dog remained tied up.