The old saw “There are no bad dogs, just bad owners” may never get a better real-life illustration than an animal attack in Virginia Beach, on March 10, 2012. According to police reports, a sheepdog — identified as a good pet because of its almost complete lack of aggression — bit two teenaged girls on an athletic field at First Colonial High School. The dog was not on a leash, and its owner fled the scene after loading the animal into a Range Rover SUV rather than checking on the health of the youngsters.
Police told the Virginian-Pilot the teens suffered bites to their hands and legs that required medical attention. Anyone with additional information about the attack and the identity of the dog’s owner is being asked to contact Crime Solvers at 1-800-LOCK-U_UP (562-5887) or Virginia Beach Animal Control at (757) 385-4444. In addition to potentially charging the pet owner with violations such as having the dog unleashed in a public place and harboring a dangerous animal, officials need to confirm that the dog has an up-to-date rabies vaccination.
View a larger map of where a dog attacked two girls off Mill Dam Road in Virginia Beach.
As a personal injury attorney in Virginia Beach, I know that city codes and Virginia state law make it possible for victims to hold pet owners liable for attacks by their dogs and other companion animals. That liability is particularly applicable when a person allows his or her dog out of the yard without being on a leash. All dogs bite; therefore, all dogs must be properly trained, restrained and vaccinated against rabies and other diseases that can infect — and potentially kill — people.
EJL