Vicious dogs and the impact of an attack
The majority of dogs are not vicious at all, which is why people love to keep them as household pets as they have for centuries. However, there are always outliers. It is important to know when a dog is considered to be vicious and what can be done about it.
In California, a dog that bites someone once is not automatically considered to be “vicious” in a legal sense. This term is only used for a dog that is involved in two or more such incidents. At that point, this is considered to be a trend, and special consideration is needed.
Owners have a responsibility to take care of these dogs. While they are not required to put them down, they are required to watch them and monitor them. They may also have to confine them so that the same thing cannot happen a third time.
The reason for this is that the impact of a dog bite is more than just physical. Those who are bitten may face high medical costs when they get treatment, for example. They may lose wages if they are forced to miss work while they are in the hospital. They could even lose future wages if they cannot return to work. It all depends on a lot of factors, including the severity of the bite.
Those who have been bitten need to know how the law treats these situations and what rights they have. If you would like to learn more about what you can do after an attack and what rights you have, you may find our page on everything related to a dog bite to be very helpful.