My dog attacked another dog. Am I responsible for the medical bill?

Question

My neighbor's dog is always outside off a leash barking at people. Last week my dog got out of the house and attacked her dog after her dog was on our side of the pavement. When my dog got out, her dog ran home, and my dog ran after her. She took her dog to the vet and she has a $455 bill. Should I be responsible for the bill?

Answer

It seems that at the time of the incident neither dog was under appropriate control by their owners/caretakers. I cannot say for sure if a court would award all or part of veterinary expenses to the owner of the injured dog under these circumstances. A court could decide that one or more of the dog owners was negligent and in violation of a dog restraint law and may/may not award compensation to the owner of the dog who was injured. All that said, many people whose dog injured another dog would reimburse the owner of the injured dog for all or part of the veterinary expenses arising out of the dog bite (kind of to nip it the bud---excuse the pun). If a settlement is arrived at, I suggest it be in writing and that it include a release clearly stating that the person receiving the money has no further claim related to the incident. For more information, consult with an attorney in your state. Of course, the cost of an attorney might exceed payment of the veterinary expenses. I hope the dogs are both doing well now.