Understanding Georgia’s Dog Bite Laws: A Comprehensive Guide for Dog Owners and Victims

Dog bites can completely disrupt your life. Victims often face mounting medical bills, missed work, and various obstacles to obtaining the compensation they deserve. If you or a loved one has been bitten by a dog in Georgia, attorney Andrew Gebhardt is the Georgia dog bite lawyer that can help you through every step of the legal recovery process.

The laws that surround dog bites in Georgia can be nuanced. Having an experienced lawyer on your side is the best way to help your case.

Georgia’s Responsible Dog Owner Act

Enacted in 2012, Georgia’s Responsible Dog Owner Law establishes that the owner of a dog can be held liable for the actions of a dog under their control when the dog seriously injures another animal or person. It is important to note that the term “owner” is liberally construed to include “any natural person or any legal entity, including, but not limited to, a corporation, partnership, firm, or trust owning, possessing, harboring, keeping, or having custody or control of a dog.” Also, should the dog be owned by a minor, the parents would be considered the owners under this statute.

The act defines what is considered to be a dangerous dog as well as when a dog should be considered vicious and enacts requirements for both types of animals.

A “dangerous dog” is one that:

• Punctures the victim’s skin with their teeth without causing serious injury
• Aggressively attacks a person in a way that they can reasonably believe that the dog posed an imminent threat of serious injury although no such injury occurs (barking, growling, and showing teeth are not sufficient to establish the belief of an imminent threat of serious injury)
• Kills a pet animal (with exceptions for hunting dogs, herding dogs, and predator control dogs)

A “vicious dog” is defined as a dog “that inflicts serious injury on a person or causes serious injury to a person resulting from reasonable attempts to escape from the dog’s attack.”

While many of the requirements for owning a dangerous dog and a vicious dog are the same, there are more rigorous requirements for owning a vicious dog. For example, owners of vicious dogs cannot be convicted of felonies involving drugs, dogfighting, or aggravated cruelty to animals.

The Responsible Dog Owner Law is statewide; however, it does not prevent individual cities and counties within Georgia from enacting their own laws that are more stringent. In fact, most counties and cities have their own animal liability laws.

Exceptions to Responsible Dog Owner Law

There are two exceptions to the responsible dog owner law. First of all, if the dog is being used as a part of law enforcement or the military to carry out official duties, their owner is exempt from liability. Also, if the dog attacks someone that is trespassing, committing a crime, attempting to commit a crime, or abusing them, the owner is exempt.

Speak With The Georgia Dog Bite Lawyer

If you or a loved one has been bitten by a dog in the greater Atlanta area, you need an attorney that understands Georgia dog bite laws and how they relate to your case. Contact our firm to find out how we can help you.