Legal Question in Civil Litigation in California
This morning, as I was running with my leashed dog in my neighborhood, a neighbor's dog ran after me and my dog, and unfortunately, the two dogs got into a fight. The neighbor's dog required a trip to the emergency animal clinic and required some stitches. The neighbor expects me to cover half of $500.00 vet bill, which I am refusing to pay. My dog sustained injuries as well, and I believe the neighbor's dog was not properly secured. I cannot be sure because it happened so quickly. I thing I am sure is that my dog was on its leash, and the neighbor's dog came out of nowhere. The neighbor claims that the dog was on a "stretchy" leash and that it was tied to a tree. I honestly did not see a leash on the other dog, nor did I see it tied to a tree. As I stated, the dog came out of nowhere as my dog and I jogged past the neighbor's house. One second I was jogging, the next second I saw the neighbor's dog charging after us, when the fight happened. The neighbor claims that my dog broke the "stretchy" leash when she (my dog is female) bit his dog. I saw no evidence of that. In fact, I believe the dog was not even tied up.
My question is, am I responsible for half of the neighbor's vet bill? I believe that if not for the neighbor's negligent care of his own dog, the fight never would have transpired.
1 Answer from Attorneys
The attacking dog's owner should be found liable, not you. Take it to small claims court if necessary, or turn it over to your homeowners liability insurance.
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