Stray Dog Jumps In My Car -What If He Bit Me Or Attacked Me?

[brandyrose]

I was getting out of my car (dont laugh) and a massive hairy brown dog jumps in and sits in the passenger seat. Looked like a husky but brown. A guy was running after the dog with a phone and through the car window started pointing the phone at the dog (he was actually trying to get the last digit of the phone number on the collar so he could ring the owner). Had been chasing him for ages! (really sweet guy).

The dog now starts getting seriously distressed by the guy with the phone outside the window. Dog had been in a local lake so my seat is all wet as he is abit restless and growling at the guy through the window. As distressed and confined and growling ferociously I opened the car door and he shoots off (guy with phone running after him).
For argument sake, if the dog had attacked me or a child or the guy and caused injury - 1) what would have happened to the dog do you think? 2) would the owners have been responsible if they weren't aware he was missing? 3) If I had kept the dog in the car - would I have got into trouble?

I reported the dog straight away as I didn't want him or anyone else to come to any harm. Wardens in area had no info about a missing dog but were going to put an alert out immediately.

[woofgang]

In the UK, if the dog had attacked and or bitten anyone then his owners would be responsible under the DDA. if he had been in kennels or with a walker then the owner would have had a complaint against them but still it is their responsibility if the dog attacks someone. In those circs with no prior he probably wouldn't have been PTS

[DJHawkes]

is that an alert or a BOLO?

[Peter Pedant]

Oh my dog did that.

er when I was road running the dog insisted on coming,
and I ran past a rural house where the lady of the house snarled at her various offspring : get in the car !

and on the seat in the back, there were three kids and one dog looking pleased. Kids squealing but not in terror more in wonder

Dog ordered: get out of the car !

more squealing

and everything ended happily

[DJHawkes]

thank you stanley holloway

[FredPuli43]

One of mine did it. Somebody opened their car door, she was outside , saw that and jumped into the car, expecting a ride. Cheeky devil!

1) if the dog was known to be dangerous (the misnamed "one free bite rule") the owner is liable and the dog might be destroyed by court order. If not, the owner may be liable for not having the dog under control, and on a lead, on a "designated road". You may also be able to apply to the magistrates' court, by civil process, for compensation and a penalty to the owner.

2) possibly; a dangerous dog is a dangerous dog.

3) if you'd kept the dog with the intent to deprive the owner permanently of it. the owner being discoverable by reasonable steps, that is prima facie theft, since it would probably be held to be dishonest.

[Peter Pedant]

.

o my God it gives the term dog thief a new meaning !

[FredPuli43]

Under the old Larceny Act 1916, the predecessor to the Theft Act 1968, nobody could steal a dog. This had the curious result that when some crooks 'stole' a valuable greyhound they were prosecuted for stealing its collar. Had they the wit and knowledge to leave the collar behind, they couldn't have been prosecuted for anything, unless they later made the mistake of blackmailing the owner for its return.

[brandyrose]

Thank you all so much. I know a few people who might have driven off with the dog if they thought it wasn't being looked after properly and given it a wash! The poor dog was abit lost.

[FredPuli43]

Me too, Brandy ! One Summer I found a dog had invited itself into the house and was quite comfortable, sitting on a chair! No idea where it came from, no name tag or anything. So I took it round the village,hoping that someone would recognise it. It led me to one house but the occupier said it wasn't theirs. This patttern was repeated, the dog leading me to back doors, to garages, to outhouses, all without a result. Eventually a farm worker said it was a travellers' dog, because it had a collar like they used, and led me down the road to where the travellers had set up camp. Sure enough, it was greeted like a long lost friend !And the mystery why it had gone around the back of people's houses, as though it had been there before.....Well, the cynic in me suggested one likely, if unflattering possibility!

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

To me this is really simple.
Keep your dog on a lead in public or be liable for the consequences.

[Peter Pedant]

Incredo Freddie !
We picked up a stray under those circumstances - hullo, I am coming home with you type of thing - and one day she went past St Willibrord's Primary and sat on the doormat. Looking demure like the silent spotted stag (s0me differences, she is a dog) that she would be.


If Willibrord rings a bell the vicar of St W buried one of Cregan's victims.

and a week or so later - passing at 15 30, a voice piped, look Daddy it is Megan. And the seven year old squeaked oh Megan you're coming home and the father looked slightly more doubtful as it was he who had abandoned the dog in the first place.

And as the dog hid behind my legs, and peeped around them, I said no she is mine now I have had her chipped and this was echoed by the previous owner. So dogs have incredible smell memories - not surprising that part of the brain is big big big.

[Peter Pedant]

yeah I concluded that the child must have crouched down and weed on the school door mat at some time in the past.