What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California
I was walking my dog recently on leash in my neighborhood when suddenly a smaller dog was racing across the street at top speed towards my dog. Within 3 seconds it had reached us and my dog grabbed it in defense and shook it. I was scrambling trying to stop her and injured my knee in the process. She held it in a tight grip where I had trouble getting her to release. Thankfully a guy came out and helped me open her jaws. I felt he was very brave, not knowing my dog, to have done this. She did not make any aggressive moves towards him but allowed us to take the dog out of her mouth. Unfortunately the small dog was bleeding from the chest. At this point we did not know who the owner was. I called out to a man standing on his porch across the street if he knew whose dog it was and he ran over, realized it was his neighbor's dog, and ran and got him. When the young man came over he took his shirt off and held it against the dog's chest but did not make a move to get in his car to get to a vet. I explained that his dog ran up to my dog. I encouraged him to hurry and get it to a vet but he didn't move. He told me to "go away" and "leave" twice so I did. I assume the dog died especially since he was not available immediately after this happened to help it, and since he did not make a move to run to a vet. Since there are leash laws and this man was endangering his dog by not paying any attention to its whereabouts outside, I feel that he is liable for the damage my dog caused when it felt under attack by his dog. I was obeying the law with my dog on a leash. Anything could have happened to that dog while he was not paying attention, including getting hit by a car. I'm just wondering what your take on it is. I feel terrible about it, but I don't feel responsible. Thank you for your insight into this situation.
I was walking my dog recently on leash in my neighborhood when suddenly a smaller dog was racing across the street at top speed towards my dog. Within 3 seconds it had reached us and my dog grabbed it in defense and shook it. I was scrambling trying to stop her and injured my knee in the process. She held it in a tight grip where I had trouble getting her to release. Thankfully a guy came out and helped me open her jaws. I felt he was very brave, not knowing my dog, to have done this. She did not make any aggressive moves towards him but allowed us to take the dog out of her mouth. Unfortunately the small dog was bleeding from the chest. At this point we did not know who the owner was. I called out to a man standing on his porch across the street if he knew whose dog it was and he ran over, realized it was his neighbor's dog, and ran and got him. When the young man came over he took his shirt off and held it against the dog's chest but did not make a move to get in his car to get to a vet. I explained that his dog ran up to my dog. I encouraged him to hurry and get it to a vet but he didn't move. He told me to "go away" and "leave" twice so I did. I assume the dog died especially since he was not available immediately after this happened to help it, and since he did not make a move to run to a vet. Since there are leash laws and this man was endangering his dog by not paying any attention to its whereabouts outside, I feel that he is liable for the damage my dog caused when it felt under attack by his dog. I was obeying the law with my dog on a leash. Anything could have happened to that dog while he was not paying attention, including getting hit by a car. I'm just wondering what your take on it is. I feel terrible about it, but I don't feel responsible. Thank you for your insight into this situation.