Dog walker liability.

[LuisJoel]

Florida..
My wife is dog sitting two dogs for a friend of ours in exchange she is receiving money so it is a business contract of some sort but my wife does not do it for a living or have any sort of license. While she was walking the dogs the dog she was walking allegedly bit another dog. my wife did not see it bite just pull towards the other dog. The next day the other person asked my wife for all of her contact information and said that her dog was in the hospital with a tube. She wanted the contact information of the dog owner which is still out of town and said she wanted her vet bills to get paid. When my wife contacted the owner the owner said that since she was not walking the dog at the time she was not liable and my wife would have to pay at least half of the vet bills. Is there any clear law on who is responsible in this case? Can our friend actually force my wife to pay the vet bills? Also is there a way to find out if in fact the dog she was walking really did bite the other dog because she saw the dog Lunge at the other dog but did not actually see any biting or damage on the otherdog. and she believes it highly unlikely that he would have caused that amount of damage.

 

[adjusterjack]

Is there any clear law on who is responsible in this case?

Yes. Florida is a strict liability state when dogs bite people:

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0767/Sections/0767.04.html

The word "owner" is likely to be construed by a court as anybody in control of a dog. And damage to property (dogs are property) may also be strict liability. Dog bite law is complicated.

Can our friend actually force my wife to pay the vet bills?

No, but a court of law can, when your wife gets sued.

Also is there a way to find out if in fact the dog she was walking really did bite the other dog because she saw the dog Lunge at the other dog but did not actually see any biting or damage on the otherdog. and she believes it highly unlikely that he would have caused that amount of damage.

Sure. Demand to be taken to the vet to examine the dog and talk to the vet about the injuries and the cost. No compliance, no pay.

Bottom line, though, it doesn't matter what your wife "believes," a claim for money is being made against her and she can be sued for it.

She should stop talking to the other dog owner and turn the claim over to her insurance company. It's required by policy.

 

[Lawyer9696]

According to data from the American Pet Products Association, 65 percent of U.S. households had a pet in 2015-2016, and the estimated number of pet dogs numbered 77.8 million. When people are away at work or on vacation, many trust a dog walker to come exercise their precious pooch. Dog walking is a flexible, active way to earn income. But it’s also a high-risk profession with many variables that make it unpredictable.

 

[quincy]

According to data from the American Pet Products Association, 65 percent of U.S. households had a pet in 2015-2016, and the estimated number of pet dogs numbered 77.8 million. When people are away at work or on vacation, many trust a dog walker to come exercise their precious pooch. Dog walking is a flexible, active way to earn income. But it’s also a high-risk profession with many variables that make it unpredictable.

This is an older thread and your addition to this older thread has nothing to do with the questions asked by LuisJoel.

Please read both posts and posting dates before contributing.

Thanks.