Q: Who is liable if a dog does damage to their owner's property?
I was checking in on someone's dogs twice a day for ten days while they were away. They did damage to the owner's property. I agreed to feed and water them. Let them out in the morning and inside in the evening. They are not denying that I did that, but they want me to pay for damages that I didn't even see while I was there. The dogs chewed on a few things and pottied in the basement, where I never went. They were always upstairs or outside when I arrived.
A: This is an interesting question with no clear answer. The only way the owner could collect money from you is if the owner sues you in court and wins. Since the dogs were not yours and you performed your agreed upon duties, I think you have a viable defense that the damage is not your responsibility.
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