Are You Responsible for Damage Caused by Your Pets? Understanding Animal Liability

Having all of the relevant information is an essential part of being a responsible pet owner. You may not realize it, but there are laws governing many aspects of pet ownership, including whether or not it’s illegal to let your dog poop on someone else’s lawn. While (hopefully) not relevant as often, animal liability is another important legal area to understand. 

How Does Animal Liability Work?  

While you may have done your research to find a breed known for being calm, there’s more than one way pets can cause damage. In addition to biting, relatively innocent things like digging up your neighbor’s flower beds might legally constitute damage. 

Unsurprisingly, many of the laws regarding animal liability vary by state. In some states, including Massachusetts and California, pet owners are formally responsible for any damages caused by their animals. Even in strict animal liability states, however, there are a number of important standards for determining what counts as actionable damage. 

Some particularly stringent laws hold pet owners automatically responsible for any damages the animal causes, no matter what. In most cases, however, some level of negligence on your part as a pet owner must be proven. Likewise, if a person either provoked your pet or was in the process of committing a crime, such as breaking into your property, you are not liable for any damages the animal incurred. 

Tort Law and the “One-Bite” Rule

As with other lawsuits involving damages, the primary legal vehicle for handling animal liability cases is