What if my dog bite's a trespasser?

[Micheleteresa]

I live on a main road with very few homes and lot's of fast food eatery's, an auto shop next to me with only about three feet of property between my side property and the auto shop parking lot and, when open in between changes of ownership, a night club across the street. I have had people, teens and young adults, hop over my back fence and cut through my yard as a short cut, because of this I am afraid to leave my dog in the yard even for a short amount of time because I have heard two different answers as to what would happen should my dog bite a trespasser. One person told me as long as I have "beware of dog" signs posted I would not be liable nor could my dog be removed from my home in the event he was to bite a trespasser. Another person said that because my dog is a pit bull mix he would be removed from the home. My dog is not aggressive but I can not 100 percent say that I know he would not chase after and bite a stranger who is running through the yard. Does having beware of dog signs posted protect me from liability and protect my dog from being taken away from his home?

 

[LitoLawless]

That sucks that your home is in a space that have kids doing that kind of thing. Would a bigger fence help? I think if you have a beware of dog sign it would at least let people know that there is a dog on the premises and they should have at least a little bit of caution. I heard that there were some special laws for pitbulls that they don't have for other dogs, but I'm not really sure what they are.

 

[Micheleteresa]

A higher fence would probably help I rent and the back fence probably belongs to the town since the train tracks are on the other side of the back fence, the fence is six foot chain link. I plan to move in about a year but until then maybe the best solution would be to add bobwire to the top of the chain link fence.

 

[musicmonster]

I think as long as the trespasser don't press charges against you when your dog bites him or her. As far as I know, even criminals can still press charges if they are aggravated too. But to be safe, the sign outside your house to beware of dogs is also helpful for your case.

 

[primalclaws1974]

It's nice to see a responsible dog owner. I am not in a big city, but neither is it tiny. People seem to think that they can walk down the sidewalks and parks without their dogs on leashes all the time! But to get to your post, I cannot say for certain that you won't have to answer to charges if your dog bites them. Likely, it would depend on how badly your animal hurt them. If it was ripped clothing, or a single bite, likely the courts would see it as your dog defending your property. If your dog severely hurt them, or was biting at their throat in a manner where it looked like it was trying to kill them, your animal would likely be put down as a dangerous animal no matter what.