K-9 Unit Attacks Innocent Bystander

Case Overview

This case takes place in New Hampshire and involves a man who was exiting his apartment building during the late evening. As the man made his was across the parking lot towards his vehicle he saw a large aggressive dog and called out for its owners. Upon receiving no reply, he attempted to evade the dog by jumping on top of his vehicle. The dog bit the man’s elbow causing severe injury. The dog was not on a leash, nor was it identified as being a part of a K-9 unit. The police arrived soon after the incident and claimed they were looking for an individual involved in an earlier robbery who did not match the profile of the man who had been bitten. An expert witness with specialty in police activities was retained in the case.

Questions to the Veterinary Medicine expert and their responses

Please explain why you are qualified to serve on this case. Do you frequently train dogs for use in K-9 units?

My initial thoughts as someone whose practice consists primarily of aggressive dogs is that the primary issue here is whether the state holds owners of companion dogs to a higher standard than dogs serving in K-9 units.

Can you explain how these dogs are trained to perform in search situations, and can you describe the conditions under which police dogs act aggressively?

However, if this dog was trained to menace and attack every male he encountered then he would be well-trained. While that might be justifiable in an area when any man outside was considered a potential threat to public safety, the question is whether that was a reasonable assumption in the area in which this dog was turned loose without sufficient supervision.

Have you served as an expert on a case similar to the one described above?

If this case involved someone's pet dog who was running loose without owner verbal or nonverbal control and decided this man posed a threat for some reason and bit that person, I suspect that no one--even the police--would doubt where the responsibility for the attack would lie, i.e., with the dog's owner.

About the expert

This expert has over 30 years of experience in studying animal health and animal behavior. A past president of the New Hampshire Veterinary Medical Association, she has spoken and consulted to many different clients and organizations on different aspects of animal behavior specifically canine and feline behavior. She has been interviewed on numerous television shows, and her blog has been ranked as one of the top 50 written by veterinarians and one of the top 100 for pet owners by Veterinary Technician Schools Online. She currently serves as an independent consultant and founder of an organization for the understanding of animal health, behavior, and the human-animal relationship.