If I give a dog away and it bites its new owner, can the new owner sue me?

This dog has displayed some aggression toward small children (nipping, one time biting a hand, but not breaking the skin). If I let the new owner know about this and give full disclosure, can the owner come back and sue me if anything happens once they…

    If I give a dog away and it bites its new owner, can the new owner sue me?

    This dog has displayed some aggression toward small children (nipping, one time biting a hand, but not breaking the skin). If I let the new owner know about this and give full disclosure, can the owner come back and sue me if anything happens once they…...
    Dogs Training Discussions : If I give a dog away and it bites its new owner, can the new owner sue me?...

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    • If I give a dog away and it bites its new owner, can the new owner sue me?

      If I give a dog away and it bites its new owner, can the new owner sue me? Dogs Training Discussions
      This dog has displayed some aggression toward small children (nipping, one time biting a hand, but not breaking the skin). If I let the new owner know about this and give full disclosure, can the owner come back and sue me if anything happens once they take the dog? I'm in the process of giving the dog away and I am concerned that if anything happens in the future with this dog, I'll get sued.

      If I give a dog away and it bites its new owner, can the new owner sue me?

      If I give a dog away and it bites its new owner, can the new owner sue me? Dogs Training Discussions
    • If you have the new owner sign a paper stating that he knew about these issues than I dont think he'd have any reason to sue you. Sound to me that the pup needs training.You need to be very honest with the new owner and if they have kids than I would not place this dog with them at all.

    • Get them to sign a statement acknowledging that the dog has nipped (describe) (and if your suggesting it not be around small children add that too) and that they are fully aware of it and that you will not be liable.

    • YES, you are def. able to be sued which is why rescues and reputable shelters never adopt out any dogs with a history of biting/nipping/growling esp. kids. Obviously if the dog bit a robber that is different. If your dog is aggressive with people or has ever bitten anyone, you can't, in good conscience, give him to anyone else. Could you live with yourself if that dog hurt another person, especially a child? Can you deal with the lawsuit that could result from it? You stand to lose your home and everything else you own. Lawsuits from dog bites are settling for millions of dollars in damages. Our society today has zero tolerance for a dog with a bite history, no matter how minor. A dog that has bitten -- whether or not it was his fault -- is considered by law to be a dangerous dog. In some states, it's illegal to sell or give away a biting dog. No insurance company will cover a family with a biting dog. And to be perfectly honest, no responsible person in his right mind would want to adopt a biting dog. No matter how much you love your dog, if he has ever bitten anyone, you only have one responsible choice -- take him to your veterinarian and have him humanely put to sleep. Don't leave him at a shelter where he might be frightened and confused and put other people at risk. Don’t pass your problem off to a breed rescue or another family who will be forced to make the same decision you should have reached. As hard as it is to face, putting a potentially dangerous, biting dog to sleep is the only safe and responsible thing to do. It's the right thing to do The first link has a state by state dog bite laws BTW, the dog rescue group I have worked with HAS a contract written by lawyers where the person realizes the dog is adopted as is and no guarentee of health or temperament is given and basically the adopter knows he takes his chances. BUT our group has been successfully sued(more than once) when the dog did bite and that is one of the reasons we carefully screen dogs coming into our program.

    • Get them to sign something saying that you have told them about the dog's aggression and that they agree they are taking the dog knowing this and are signing up for classes in order to work with the dog and take care of the problem.. Promising not to trust the dog around other dogs, people, or kids until they have worked with the dog and taken care of the problem. If they can't fix the dog, then they promise to keep the dog under control to make sure that nothing is going to happen.. Also that signing this paper, they are acknowledging that you told them everything and you assume no responsibility for the dog..

    • Normally, no, but check the laws in your state. Some bleeding heart liberals have infiltrated the common sense originally put into our laws and now protect the stupid. Where I live (rural Texas), the judges would probably call the plaintiff stupid and throw the case out. If he did hear it, the jury would call the plaintiff stupid. However, where I lived in California for 4 years . . . well, heck, I won't even go into that and all the ambulance chasing lawyers out there!

    • Be honest, and put all you know in writing, and make him sign it. Just to cover your bases.Add a line stating that he agrees to not hold you liable for actions of the dog in his care and under his new ownership

    • no - make sure you put it in writting and have 2 copies made - one for you and one for them...signed by both of you...: I am giving my dog "rex" to John Smith, who will be its owner.. the dog is described as______________ about 2 years old.. his vet reccords are up to date , John is aware that the dog has displayed some agression in the past and agrees to take the dog to Obedience lessons"also strongly reccommend obedience lessons and neutering (if not done)...

    • yes, I believe they can because you know you are giving away a dangerous dog, after all you are getting rid of the problem and pawning it off on someone else, instead of doing the right thing which, in my opinion would be to put the dog to sleep. Many many dogs in shelters have aggression issues and that is why they are there, but they act sooo nice when they are, until they get to their new homes, get settled and then the demons come out. The reason the shelter has them is because there wasn't full disclosure to begin with, afte all, would you knowingly take a biter into your family? especially one with small children? I would put the dog to nighty night.if you have the chance or inclination to read, check out Fatal Dog Attacks by Karen Delise, you will see that a good portion of dogs who killed were not "family" pets gone bad as stated by the media, but some were rescue dogs that had only been in the new home for a short period. If the dog "bites some child" in the face next time, how will you feel?

    • technically i don't think he/she can sue you because he/she would be the new owner of the dog and he/she would have the licence to own that dog other wise the new owner is responsible for the dog just check if there "if you already haven't had done it yet" is any documents from your government that issues that dog to the new owner

    • This is a legal matter. Consult a lawyer about this and have a release for the new owner to read, undertstand and sign (before a notary) before taking possession of the dog.Also, screen your new owners carefully.Yes, this is costly - but a law suit is even more so.

    • If it's possible, get your dog into training prior to rehoming.If possible, consult with an attorney regarding the wording of the rehoming contract.Place the dog with a contract that clearly indicates you are relinquishing ownership, and gives ownership to the new person.Also include in the contract a clause that stipulates the new owner continue with the training. In addition to fully disclosing the previously displayed aggression, add a clause that once the contract is signed and dated by both parties, the new owner is fully responsible for the dog's actions.To answer your question, yes -- anybody can sue anybody else for anything, but it doesn't mean they are going to win. These people *could* sue you but if you take all precautions and put everything in writing, even if they *do* sue you chances are they probably won't succeed.*********ADD: Spay or neuter your dog PRIOR to rehoming.ADD #2: Of course, you must not place this dog with children nor with anyone who might consider having children in the future.ADD #3: What thesnovels5 wrote (below) -- ensure the new owners only return the dog to YOU if they are unable to keep him, for whatever reason at any time. Put this in the contract also.

    • Maybe your first concern should be the welfare of the dog - not CYA. Yes, anyone can sue anyone for anything. This dog is a liability and should only be handled by someone who knows what they are doing.

    • Get it all in writing what you have informed the owner of.And that you are not responsible for the dogs actions after the dog leaves your home and they take ownership. Its like a contract. Have two copies. Original for you and copy for the new owner. Both of you should sign and date. And if you can have somebody there as a witness to also sign would be helpful. This will protect you from any problems in the future. Another thing to put in the paper is the dogs health at time of transfer of ownership.

    • If the dog is aggressive and has biten someone why would you give it away. It should be put to sleep. Why pass this problem to someone else, whether they would sue you or not. I would not have a dog that is aggressive toward children. Most kids will go right up to a dog. Then it's too late. If a child is injured or killed would you feel any better knowing you can't be sued..

    • You should put everything in writing, just to cover your own butt. And make sure the new owner gets a copy of it. Heck, you two could even sign it, just to make sure everyone is on the same page.People are sue-happy these days, I'd cover yourself just for your own peace of mind.

    • I don't think so. I mean if they know up front that it's a biter, then they take it knowingly. Although it might make it harder to get rid of, it's the right thing to do (telling them). You might want to give it away to a family that has older kids, or no kids.