When a Dog Attacks, What is the Owner's Responsibility? Officials Address Query

When a dog attacks someone are there laws in existence that would hold the dog’s owner responsible? That’s what one resident questioned the mayor and council about Tuesday night – something he has been looking into since his daughter suffered injuries from a recent attack by a neighborhood dog.

Mayor Rose Heck and Borough Attorney Ralph Chandless agreed with resident Rick Robitaille that something should be in place that would hold a dog owner responsible for controlling his or her dog and said they will look into what related laws may already exist in the borough.

Chandless said he believes that there is a provision that requires municipalities to appoint a police officer in respect to dangerous animals however he did not believe someone has been appointed to this position in many years. Mayor Heck asked Police Captain Joseph Cronin to look into this adding that if there is something lacking in the borough in this regard she will have the borough attorney address it. 

Robitaille said he looked into what type of related borough ordinances there may be in regards to this type of situation and coudln't find anything other than leash and rabbies control laws, and laws that require owners to clean up after dogs but nothing on animal control.

He said the incident involving his daughter occurred on the Boulevard in the area of Lasalle. Robitaille said a dog, who was on a leash on the corner along with his owner, ran into the street knocking his daughter down and causing her injury.

He said the police department put the dog on 10-day quarantine but was later told by the police department that nothing could be done beyond that. Mayor Heck commented that it did not seem reasonable that a dog owner would not be responsible for controlling the animal.