Liability for damages caused by dogs, court orders to kill a dog, and providing a penalty. (FE)

The bill changes the current provision under which a dog owner or keeper may be liable for two times the amount of damages caused by the dog so that it applies only when a dog bites a person with sufficient force to break the skin and cause permanent physical scarring or disfigurement, and the owner or keeper knew that the dog had previously, without provocation, bitten a person with sufficient force to break the skin and cause permanent physical scarring or disfigurement.

Under current law, a person who owns or keeps a dog is subject to a forfeiture (a civil monetary penalty) of $50 to $500 if the dog causes injury to a person, domestic animal, property, deer, game birds, or the nests or eggs of game birds. This bill increases the maximum forfeiture to $2,500. Under current law, if the owner or keeper knew that the dog had previously caused injury to a person, domestic animal, property, deer, game birds, or the nests or eggs of game birds, the forfeiture is $200 to $1,000. This bill increases the maximum forfeiture to $5,000.

Under current law, this state or a municipality may ask a court to order that a dog be killed. The court may issue the order if the dog caused serious injury to a person or domestic animal on two separate occasions, off of the owner's or keeper's property, without reasonable cause, and the owner or keeper knew, before the second injury, that the dog caused the first injury.

Under this bill, an action asking a court to order that a dog be killed may also be brought by a person who is injured by the dog, whose minor child was injured by the dog, or whose domestic animal is injured by the dog.