This case involves a man who was severely injured during an attack by his neighbor’s dog. On the day of the incident in question, the man had taken his dog – a small Pomeranian – for a walk and was returning home. Suddenly, the man and his dog were rushed by his neighbor’s dog, a large Doberman pincher, which began to bite and shake the smaller pomeranian. In an attempt to save his dog, the man tried to pry the doberman’s jaws off of the pomeranian, suffering a number of serious bites in the process. The man was rushed to the hospital following the attack, where he was treated for blood loss, lacerations, and a broken hand. The doberman was not on a leash or supervised in any way at the time of the accident.
Question(s) For Expert Witness
1. Please briefly describe your experience in dog handling and owner/dog interactions.
2. Can you speak to the reasonableness of protecting one's dog from being attacked in a dog fight scenario?
Expert Witness Response E-011422
I am a certified trainer with two national organizations, with certificates in dog bite investigations, amongst others. I am more than adequately trained to discuss the reasonableness of protecting one's dog from being attacked in a dog fight. It is a natural response to attempt to intervene in this kind of scenario, and most people do not think about the potential consequences of doing so in the moment. Unless you're a dog professional and know how to break up a dog fight, it is very dangerous to do so. The average person just steps in and tends to get injured, much like what happened in this particular case. This is not an unusual occurrence, whether it be while out walking or at dog parks. Regardless, dog owners are responsible for the supervision and control of their dogs, and leaving a dog unattended can lead to attacks such as the one described above.
About the author
Joseph O'Neill
Joe has extensive experience in online journalism and technical writing across a range of legal topics, including personal injury, meidcal malpractice, mass torts, consumer litigation, commercial litigation, and more. Joe spent close to six years working at Expert Institute, finishing up his role here as Director of Marketing. He has considerable knowledge across an array of legal topics pertaining to expert witnesses. Currently, Joe servces as Owner and Demand Generation Consultant at LightSail Consulting.
