A loophole in the Dangerous Dog Law
At Safe Dog PA, we believe the current Dangerous Dog law has a loophole. Even if a dog has caused severe injury unprovoked, the dog cited for dangerous dog may be cleared of all charges. Why? Vicious propensity has to be proven, or there has to be a history of attacks. We believe that once a dog has caused severe injury unprovoked, it has proven by that very act that it is capable of doing so again. We would like to see the law tightened so that vicious propensity or a history of attacks is not necessary in order for precautions to be put in place to guard against further attacks.
The current law also does not address the definition of unprovoked. A behavioral veterinarian can argue successfully that all bites are provoked- otherwise the dog would not have bitten! That argument is looking at it solely from a dog’s perspective. We believe that the word "unprovoked" needs to be defined by human standards.
Senate Bill 798 would provide what we believe to be a very good definition of "unprovoked".
More on vicious propensity
How having to prove vicious propensity
hinders our authorities and
is unfair to the prosecution