It’s More Than Just Dog Injuries

Dogs and Cats and Horses, Oh My!

Although most people understand they can be held responsible if their dog injures someone, the Animal Control Act covers all domestic animals. The Animal Control Act states: “If a dog or other animal, without provocation, attacks, attempts to attack, or injures any person who is peaceably conducting himself or herself in any place where he or she may lawfully be, the owner of such dog or other animal is liable in civil damages to such person for the full amount of the injury proximately caused thereby.”

Our office represented the family of a young man whose car hit a horse which had escaped. The horse owner was legally liable for his horse which had escaped. We also represented a man who was attacked by a cat. I am sure your first reaction is to laugh that someone was attacked by a cat. However, the cat scratched our client so deeply and repeatedly that he required stitches and the wounds became infected. His legs were left with many scars. Although the vast majority of cases involve dogs, the Animal Control Act is quite broad.