{"id":9695,"date":"2021-02-22T07:37:51","date_gmt":"2021-02-22T07:37:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/?p=9695"},"modified":"2022-06-30T07:06:10","modified_gmt":"2022-06-30T07:06:10","slug":"what-are-the-laws-about-dog-bites-in-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/blog\/what-are-the-laws-about-dog-bites-in-canada\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the Laws About Dog Bites in Canada?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Canada alone, it is estimated that thousands of people get bitten by dangerous dogs yearly. What\u2019s more alarming is that a majority of the cases involve children under the age of 10. That is why we must always be on the lookout for violent dogs in our neighborhood.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/practice-areas\/animal-dog-bite\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dog bites<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> don\u2019t only bring problems to the victim but also the owner. We have listed the issues that the bite victim may experience after the incident.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/personal-injury\/\"><b>Injury <\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; A bite is the most common type of damage that a victim may get in a dog attack. Other types of injury include scratches and knock-downs<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Medical expenses<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Getting treated after a dog bite may cost you money. The payments may include vaccines, tests, and professional fees. However, if the dog owner has <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/pet-insurance-coverage\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pet insurance<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you may get compensation for these expenses.<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/what-you-need-to-know-to-understand-pain-and-suffering-damages\/\"><b>Pain and suffering <\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; The victim may experience emotional trauma after the terrifying incident.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Complications:<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sepsis &#8211; Untreated animal bites can sometimes lead to sepsis, a severe reaction to infection. If left untreated, this may lead to death. The symptoms of this are high or low blood temperature, confusion, extreme daytime sleepiness, and severe pain or discomfort.<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tetanus &#8211; A dog bite may allow the tetanus virus to enter your body. Signs of tetanus include cramping in the jaw, muscle spasms, difficulty swallowing, and muscle stiffness.<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rabies &#8211; If the dog that bit you has rabies, then there is a high chance that you will get the rabies virus. Early signs of rabies in humans are headache, fever, weakness, and itching or prickling around the bite area. If you experience these signs after the bite, then you should immediately seek medical assistance.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Capnocytophaga &#8211; Another infection that you can get from a dog bite is Capnocytophaga. This infection may lead to kidney failure, heart attack, and gangrene if left untreated.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\"><b>Ontario\u2019s Dog Owners\u2019 Liability Act<\/b><\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Historically, dog owners in Ontario have been charged and convicted of criminal negligence and criminal negligence causing bodily harm in relation to incidents of <a href=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/practice-areas\/animal-dog-bite\/\">dog bites<\/a> and attacks. <span>Before, there were no dog bite laws in Ontario that <\/span>focus on how to hold the dog owner liable for the actions of the dog.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1990, the Dog Owners\u2019 Liability Act was introduced to protect the victims of <a href=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/practice-areas\/animal-dog-bite\/\">dog bites<\/a>. This law aims to hold a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/owner-liability-for-dog-bite-injuries\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dog owner liable<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for the damages if their dog bites or attacks another person or domestic animal. If there are two owners, then they are joint and severally liable for the damages.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, suppose the incident happened within the owner\u2019s property and the dog bite victim intended to commit criminal or illegal activity. In that case, the owner is not liable for the damages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A proceeding may be commenced in court against the dog owner if it is alleged that:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the dog has bitten or attacked another domestic animal<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the dog has behaved in a manner that poses a menace to the safety of persons or domestic animals<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the owner did not exercise reasonable precautions to prevent the dog from:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">biting or attacking a person or domestic animal, or<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">behaving in a manner that poses a menace to the safety of persons or domestic animals<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the court finds that the allegations against the dog are true, then they may order that the dog be destroyed in the manner specified in the order or that the owner take measures specified in the order.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some of the measures for more effective control of the dog:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Confining the dog to its owner\u2019s property<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Restraining the dog by means of a leash<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Restraining the dog by means of a muzzle<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Posting warning signs on the property<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In making an order, the court will usually take into consideration the dog\u2019s past and present temperament and behavior, the seriousness of the injuries caused by the biting or attack, the unusual contributing circumstances tending to justify the dog\u2019s action, the improbability that a similar attack will be repeated, the dog\u2019s physical potential for inflicting harm, precautions taken by the owner to preclude similar attacks in the future, and any other circumstances that the court considers to be relevant.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\"><b>Dog Owners\u2019 Liability Act and Pitbulls<\/b><\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/Dog-Owners-Liability-Act-and-Pitbulls.jpg\" alt=\"Dog Owners\u2019 Liability Act and Pitbulls\" width=\"768\" height=\"275\" class=\"size-full wp-image-9697 alignleft\" srcset=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/Dog-Owners-Liability-Act-and-Pitbulls.jpg 768w, https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/Dog-Owners-Liability-Act-and-Pitbulls-300x107.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>This act also restricts owning, breeding, transferring, and importing Pitbulls within Ontario. If a person owns a restricted pit bull, they must comply with the requirements in the act. Pitbull includes:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a pit bull terrier,<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a Staffordshire bull terrier,<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">an American Staffordshire terrier,<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">an American pit bull terrier.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\"><b>Should I Go to Court for a Dog Bite Injury?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/02.jpg\" alt=\"Should I Go to Court for a Dog Bite Injury?\" width=\"768\" height=\"275\" class=\"size-full wp-image-9698 alignleft\" srcset=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/02.jpg 768w, https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/02-300x107.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>When dealing with dog bites, the victim can choose between <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/what-to-do-if-you-are-a-victim-of-a-dog-bite-or-animal-attack\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">settling the case<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> outside of the court system or through the legal system. If a dog has injured you or your loved one, you should know when to resolve the case outside and through the court system. We have also included some advantages of each in the list below.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>Outside the Court System:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you know the person or he\/she belongs to your family and friends.<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You only sustained minor injuries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The case can be resolved more quickly, and you will receive compensation sooner.<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get a better sense of closure and move past the trauma caused by the incident faster.<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lower legal fees (if there are), and you will immediately know how much money you may receive.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>Through the Court System:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you don\u2019t know the person personally.<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You sustained severe injuries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may receive a larger settlement.<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A judicial procedure enforces the decision.<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You would get a greater sense of satisfaction from winning the case, especially if your encounter with the dog\u2019s owner were confrontational.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 dir=\"ltr\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When dealing with legal matters related to dog bites, hiring a personal injury lawyer will offer great relief from stressful procedures and paperwork. To get a FREE case evaluation, contact Diamond &amp; Diamond Law now!<\/span><\/i><\/h4>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\"><b>How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help You<\/b><\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first thing you should do after a dog bite incident is to seek medical attention immediately. Once you\u2019ve recovered, you should <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/things-to-consider-hiring-dog-bite-lawyer\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">find an excellent personal injury lawyer<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that will help you maximize your claims.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">send your case on our website<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to get a <a href=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/free-case-evaluation\/\">FREE case evaluation<\/a> or dial 1-800-567-HURT to contact <a href=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/\">Diamond &amp; Diamond Law<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<section class=\"h-protip-sec\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"63\" height=\"64\" src=\"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/02\/Screenshot_1-1.png\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"pro tip icon\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw \/ 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw \/ 12)), 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Pro Tip <\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element pro-tip-sec\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><i><span>\u201cAlways hire a lawyer when dealing with legal matters so that you always get the most of what you deserve.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\"><b>FAQs for What are the Laws About Dog Bites in Canada<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_toggle title=&#8221;What if I am close to the dog owner?&#8221; style=&#8221;round&#8221; color=&#8221;blue&#8221; el_id=&#8221;1610080524707-d830ee54-dfbd&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you&#8217;re close to the owner of the dog, it is not necessary to sue them. What you can do is to file a claim to the insurance company with the help of a dog bite lawyer so that he can deal with negotiating a settlement before filing a lawsuit becomes necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=&#8221;Will I be held liable if a person I don\u2019t know trespasses my property and gets bitten by my dog?&#8221; style=&#8221;round&#8221; color=&#8221;blue&#8221; el_id=&#8221;1610080546599-e1ba23d2-5ca0&#8243;]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is incredibly rare for a trespasser to successfully sue a property owner for the damages he sustained while on the property. However, if the owner knows that his dog is violent and may bite another person, and he did not put up signages that will warn trespassers, he may be held liable for the damages.<\/span>[\/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=&#8221;How can I effectively control a dog that has bitten someone?&#8221; style=&#8221;round&#8221; color=&#8221;blue&#8221; el_id=&#8221;1610080574612-96286418-5cfa&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To effectively control your dog from biting again, you should employ preventive measures. This includes using a leash so that the dog won&#8217;t escape your property, putting a muzzle on your dog, making your fence higher so that passersby won&#8217;t get bitten accidentally, and create signage to inform people about your dog.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_toggle][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] In Canada alone, it is estimated that thousands of people get bitten by dangerous dogs yearly. What\u2019s more alarming is that a majority of the cases involve children under the age of 10. That is why we must always be on the lookout for violent dogs in our neighborhood. Dog bites don\u2019t only bring&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9696,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[812],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-legal-needs","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9695","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9695"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9695\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}