Owners of dogs classified as “vicious” by Illinois law have strict liability over their animal’s bites and attacks. If an unprovoked attack caused you harm, you could pursue compensation to cover your medical expenses and any lost wages.
When aggressive dogs cause injuries or death to humans, pets or livestock, owners must provide the victims with relief. In addition to a vicious dog’s owner facing a civil action, he or she may also face criminal charges.
Reporting a vicious dog’s bite or attack
After a canine attack, you must report the incident to law enforcement officials. The local animal control agency may order a veterinarian to examine the dog for rabies and quarantine it to prevent the spread of infection. An official typically conducts an investigation to determine whether the dog’s owner violated a law concerning its confinement.
Illinois requires owners to confine vicious canines to their private property. If an owner takes his or her vicious dog out into the public, it must remain leashed and muzzled. If a dog breaks away from its property or leash, its owner may incur liability for damages.
Holding an owner accountable
After an Illinois judge classified a pit bull as vicious, it escaped from its owners’ property and mauled a dachshund. As reported by CBS Chicago, it was the second deadly incident involving the animal in less than one year.
Law enforcement officials dispatched to the scene impounded the vicious dog and another pit bull that also escaped. Officers issued several citations when the dogs’ owners came to the station to retrieve them.
The owner of the deceased dachshund has a right to file a legal action to hold the pit bull’s owner accountable. Damages may include pain and suffering for enduring the loss of a pedigreed pet.
