City of LA Can be Sued for Failing to Disclose Bite History of Pit Bull

A recent ruling by a district court is allowing a lawsuit to move forward over what was described as a vicious dog bite attack. According to the lawsuit, the city of Los Angeles failed to disclose the bite history of a dangerous pit bull who later attacked the adopter’s mother, costing her her arm. The mother is now forced to live with a prosthetic arm. She also sustained nerve damage to her other arm as she tried to fend off the attack.

According to the lawsuit, the city of Los Angeles is responsible for failing to disclose to the adopter that the dog had a lengthy history of being vicious and conducting attacks.

The vicious dog’s bite history

According to the lawsuit, the shelter knew that the dog was dangerous and had committed attacks against other individuals in the past. In one case, the dog chased down a jogger and attacked him on the street. According to the shelter’s own report, the dog had been captured after it attacked the jogger who was running on a public street.

Several months later, the dog committed the attack mentioned above. Doctors were forced to amputate the arm up to the shoulder after the dog attacked the adopter’s mother. The mother has since filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles for failing to disclose that the dog was dangerous when it was adopted by her son.

A 2019 law requires bite disclosure by animal shelters

California law (A.B. 588 also known as the Truth in Pet Adoption Law) requires public shelters and non-profit and private sector rescue groups to give a potential adopter of a dog its bite history in writing. The law went into effect on January 1, 2020. The disclosure is required to include each bite and the circumstances surrounding the bite. The adopter is required to sign the disclosure and the shelter or rescue must retain the original copy.

The Los Angeles shelter is accused of violating the Truth in Pet Adoption Law by failing to disclose the dog’s bite history prior to the adoption. The shelter was aware that the dog had attacked a jogger months earlier, was considered to be vicious, and had been recommended for a formal hearing to potentially euthanize it.

In response to the lawsuit filed by the injured victim, the city argued that the law did not require them to disclose the dog’s bite history, but only gave them the option to disclose the bite history to a potential adopter. The court rejected that argument and will allow the case to move forward.

Talk to an Oakland, CA Dog Bite Attorney Today

Venardi Zurada represents the interests of those who have been injured in dog bite attacks. Call our Oakland, CA dog bite attorneys today to schedule a free consultation, and we can begin discussing your path to recovery right away.

Source:

citywatchla.com/animal-watch/27084-city-of-l-a-can-be-sued-for-failure-to-disclose-bite-history-in-meat-grinder-pit-bull-attack-case