Florida Dog Bite Law You Must Know About!

Owning an animal in any state will require that the dog owner know the laws revolving that ownership.

Bites

In Florida if a dog bites someone the owner of that dog is liable for damages. This means that even if the dog is home and bite's a person that enters their yard the owner will still be liable for the damage the bite did. If a person is responsible for the dog biting them because of negligence on their own part then the owner of the dog is less liable for the damage. If the owner places a sign in their yard that displays the words "Bad Dog" or “Beware of Dog” and the animal bites a person who is not a government worker, postal worker, or a child under the age of 6 then the owner will not be liable for damages. If the dog bit a person who was breaking into the dog owner's home or doing any other type of criminal activity at the time they are bit by the dog then the owner will not be considered guilty of a crime. In any dog bite incident the court will need to speak with witnesses of the bite, and this normally takes places during the investigation.

In Florida if a person is bit by a dog they will need to file a lawsuit within four years of the incident. The lawsuit should be filed with the civil court system. In most cases a judge will throw out any cases that are past the statue of limitations of four years.

Injury

If a person is injured by another person's dog in Florida and they obtain injuries because of the dog or the owners negligence the owner of the animal is held liable for the damage. This means if the owner of an animal does not have a leash on the dog and a person runs from it and gets hurt by running into a parked car, light pole, or even falls on the cement and breaks a limb the owner of that dog will be liable for all hospital bills. Even when the owner of the dog declares that the dog has never been mean to anyone before the owner is still liable for any damages that the dog does.

Other Animals

If a dog harms another person's animal in Florida the owner of the dog will be liable for the damage to the other animal. For instance, if a dog were to attack another person's dairy cow the owner of the dog will have to pay for any veterinarian bills that were incurred while helping the injured dairy cow. Another Florida dog law states that if a dog kills a farmer’s sheep they can be lawfully killed. If a dog is killed the person who killed the animal will need to provide proof to the court that the deceased animal killed a farmer’s livestock, or another person's domesticated animal like a cat or dog.

OFFICE: 954. 977. 6622

FAX: 954. 977. 7559

7401 WILES RD.
CORAL SPRINGS
FL 33067