Q: My dog bit my neighbors dog last night. Can my neighbor have the county make me put my dog down.
A: Each county has its own procedures for dealing with dog bites and classification of “dangerous” dogs. Generally speaking, most follow a one bite/incident rule depending on the severity and circumstances of the attack, as it usually takes more than one incident of aggressive behavior to meet proof requirements. Plus, dogs will be dogs, so they don’t just put down dogs based on normal behavior under the circumstances. That said, you may face a fine for not maintaining control of your dog or allowing it off leash. There may also be a finding that your dog is not permitted outside your home unless leashed. It is important to respond and try to avoid or mitigate a finding that your dog is guilty of an unprovoked attack, since that finding will weigh heavily against your dog if there’s ever a subsequent incident, however minor. Putting a dog down is a last resort. More likely if your dog were deemed to dangerous and you too untrustworthy to control it to remain in the neighborhood that some other arrangements like removal elsewhere out of harms way would be explored first.
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