On New Year’s Eve, our Gold Coast client’s eight-month-old puppy was out on a quiet residential street.
A large dog escaped from a nearby yard and attacked without warning.
Her puppy survived, but needed two emergency surgeries and three days in intensive care. The vet bills came to more than $10,000. ezylegal took the other dog’s owner to court, and he agreed to pay.
At a glance
- Problem: A dog escaped from its yard and attacked our client’s puppy in the street, leaving her with more than $10,000 in emergency vet bills.
- Claim against: The owner of the dog that attacked.
- Legal basis: Negligence. The owner breached his duty of care by failing to keep his dog properly secured.
- Result: Compensation for the vet bills, paid by the dog’s owner under an agreed payment plan.
An attack out of nowhere
The attacking dog got out of its owner’s yard and went for our client’s puppy on the street, with no growl or warning first.
Her puppy was rushed to an emergency vet, then to a specialist hospital. There were two surgeries and three days in intensive care. Our client paid every bill to save her.
Making the owner pay
ezylegal wrote to the dog’s owner, setting out the vet bills and asking him to pay. When he didn’t, we filed a claim in the Queensland Magistrates Court for the full cost of the vet treatment, plus interest and costs, and had it served on him personally.
The outcome
Facing a court claim, the owner agreed to pay. ezylegal negotiated a payment plan so our client was compensated for her vet bills.
Who pays the vet bills if another dog attacks my dog?
Usually the owner of the attacking dog. If they didn’t keep their dog properly secured, you can claim your vet bills and other costs from them.
Dog owners have to keep their dogs under control and stop them escaping. If a dog gets out and injures another animal, the owner can be liable in negligence for the damage. Most of these claims are small enough to run quickly in the Magistrates Court, and many owners pay once a claim is filed.
If you’re facing something similar
If your dog has been attacked by another dog:
- get your dog to a vet straight away, and keep every invoice and report
- find out who owns the other dog, and where it got out
- take photos of the injuries and of any gap in the other owner’s fence or gate
- get the names of anyone who saw the attack
- report it to your local council
Then put your claim to the owner in writing, in a letter of demand. Get advice early, because time limits apply.
ezylegal operates on a no-win, no-fee* basis across consumer, commercial and insurance disputes, so you’re not weighing the cost of a lawyer against the cost of walking away.