Pedro the poodle was fine thankfully, but I managed to break my arm, resulting in six weeks off work. I have my own hair salon business, and while my husband has been a godsend, letting him loose on the local ladies’ hair is not an option.
The owner of Pedro runs the butcher’s; he said the dog ran off while in the park, and that it’s just one of those things: “You can’t sue a dog anyway.” he said. He offered me a turkey for Christmas, but didn’t answer when I said about my damaged bike, my broken arm and loss of earnings. What can I do?
Answer
You can’t take the dog to court. However, you can start court proceedings against the owner if needs be – the butcher has a duty to make sure his dog doesn’t cause damage. If the court finds the butcher has breached his duty as a dog owner, you will be awarded more than the ‘poultry’ amount he has offered.
As for actually getting compensation, it may well be the case that Pedro is insured. If not, the butcher may have the cash to pay you and/or property you can get an order against.
Andrew Prendergast
January 2015
