One of the states in the union with the best dog policies is Colorado. While you walk the streets, you will see a lot of dog owners playing happily with their dogs. Similar to other cities, this one has a history of adopting dog-friendly regulations and continues to offer a variety of dog parks and dog-accessible locations for owners of various kinds of pets. Undoubtedly, the majority of dogs in Colorado live happy, fulfilling lives with their human companions.
Regrettably, dogs occasionally behave badly in circumstances other than the ideal ones shown above. A dog may bite as a response if it is cornered, scared, or in danger. In several instances, the involved dogs have demonstrated a history of biting. In certain cases, a dog bite attack may seem to occur out of nowhere. Speak to a Denver dog attack lawyer at our law firm if you were attacked by a dog there. You can get the damages you’re due with the aid of our firm.
Both dog owners and others who have been bitten frequently ask what will happen to the dog who attacked them. In Colorado, are dogs put to death following attacks? If so, then under what conditions?
Dog bite liability under Colorado law
It is crucial to first go over the circumstances in which dog owners are responsible for the harm their dogs cause when they bite or otherwise attack. In actuality, Colorado has a distinctive dog bite statute. Colorado uses both strict responsibility and negligence under its premises liability rules, unlike the majority of other states.
Colorado’s dog bite law is applicable when a dog attack results in significant physical harm or death. The dog owner is given strict accountability under the law. Even if the owner has no way of foreseeing the dog acting aggressively, strict culpability nevertheless applies. No matter how previously non-aggressive a dog has been, liability still exists. There could be several serious biting injuries.
- Bites can cause severe injuries with a substantial risk of fatality
- Dog bites can cause permanent disfigurement
- Bites can lead to loss or severely impaired reduce of limb, organ, organ system, or other body part
- Bites can result in fractures, broken bones, or crush injuries
Colorado law establishes severe culpability if the victim was legally on private property when the bite happened.
On the other hand, standard premises liability or other negligence laws may be applicable if the injuries that arise are not serious. The victim must demonstrate that the dog’s owner was negligent in failing to control the animal or stop it from hurting others. The victim must then demonstrate that the incident was the direct cause of the dog bite injuries.
Euthanasia of dangerous dogs after an attack in Colorado
A dangerous dog is one that has bitten a person or another animal and either:
- caused serious bodily injury or death due to the attack
- shown potential to cause serious injury or death
- trained for dog fighting
Strict responsibility applies when a dog bites a person or another animal in the state of Colorado and results in serious physical harm. However, if the dog has already demonstrated the ability to seriously hurt people by biting less severely or by participating in dog fighting training, the owner must list the dog on a dangerous pets registry.
Depending on the seriousness of the injuries or death involved, the owner of a dog who seriously injures another person may be charged with a misdemeanor or crime. Local animal officials seize the dog and put it in a shelter at the owner’s expense if a judge finds the owner guilty of a misdemeanor or felony charge in a case involving major physical injuries, death, or a second instance of a less severe bite. The same thing happens in cases of delayed and deferred judgment. After a dog bite, the victim and owner have a duty under Colorado law to report the dog bite, which will trigger an investigation that may lead to these criminal penalties.
The owner then has the chance to challenge the court’s judgment. Until the court rules on the appeal, the dog is still in the custody of the authorities. Sadly, if the court upholds the decision, the judge may order the animal to be put to death by a court-appointed veterinarian.
