Readers, dog owners, can I ask you a question? Or, actually, a few related questions:
If you had to put a dollar figure on it, what would your dog’s life be worth to you? How would you justify that figure?
And, for those of you who have actually HAD TO put a dollar figure on your dog’s life in a lawsuit, or who received compensation after your dog’s life was taken by another – whether through negligence or cruelty or whatever: How much compensation were you able to receive?
Another dog lost his life unnecessarily
I’m asking these questions as I ponder the story of a friend’s pup, who was killed as he lay, on leash, at a public park, by two off-leash dogs, in front of my friend, his nine-year-old daughter, her friend, and other children and parents. I just can’t fully fathom the emotional damage done to my friend and especially his daughter, who had just completed a “puppy kindergarten” training class with her beloved dog. My friend’s daughter, an active, athletic girl, has told her dad she doesn’t want to play at the park anymore, it hurts too much. Is there a price you can put on this pain?
The owner of the attacking dog had released his dogs to run off-leash, in violation of the local leash laws. In my mind, that makes him liable for a bit more in damages, should a suit find him responsible for the loss of my friend’s pup and damages for the bites my friend sustained as he tried to save his pup from the aggressors. But the owner of those dogs stayed at the scene and took responsibility for the dogs, and, in fact, surrendered the dog most responsible for the puppy’s death to the responding animal control officer and requested that the dog be euthanized. Should that act reduce his legal liability?
What does the law say about this?
It’s my understanding that, in this country, dogs are legal property, and their loss is not treated or compensated-for as the loss of a human family member would be. But, as I sit here looking at photos my friend sent me of his happy daughter and her puppy at Christmas, and of the slain puppy and his attackers at the park a few weeks later, waiting for an animal control officer to arrive, I just can’t square the price of a puppy’s purchase with the loss my friend’s family has suffered.
I don’t even know if my friend will pursue a lawsuit or settlement, and of course there is no way of knowing how a judge might rule on such a case, or whether the marauding dogs’ owner feels any responsibility or has a homeowner’s insurance policy or some other way to attempt to compensate my friend for his family’s loss and suffering. I’m just so sad, thinking about it. What is a dog’s life actually worth today?
*A note from Nancy Kerns
In response to the many comments left by our readers, I wanted to state the following:
This is a really upsetting story, I know; I had not yet even met my friend’s puppy, but had seen pictures of his daughter and the pup together, and yet, as I have been discussing the tragedy with my friend and thinking about it – imagining it – I have been in tears several times a day. Awful!
However, I really am hoping to get more answers to the questions at the outset of the post. If you *could* name the price that you would accept for the loss of your dog, how would you set a value on his life? And, more reality-based, if you or someone you know had a dog who was killed through no fault of your own, and if you sought or received compensation for your loss, how was that compensation determined?
Also, I would like it to be known that the attacking dogs were not pit bulls – and their breed is beside the point. I have removed a post or two that was targeting pit bulls, as the breed was in no way relevant in this case. These dogs had been let off leash in a public park that has a leash law, near a children’s playground – that is the point here.
I am sure the price I would put on my dog’s life would be seen as absurd by some. I invest money in my dogs to provide them with the best diet and medical care I can afford, not to mention the purchase price, so that is the financial investment. But the emotional toll something like this would cause? The trauma of watching it happen in front of me, not being able to do stop it, my kids being traumatized? How long before you stop reliving it awake or asleep? How about my mental stability and health? Dogs provide stress relief and in some cases can help prevent meltdowns. Some dogs provide much more support to their human companions. If this were caused by someone who just refused to follow the law and simply keep their dog leashed in a public park, 1 Million would be the low ball amount. Not that this would ‘replace’ my dogs, but nothing will change if there aren’t any real penalties. And to address the comments about how it was an accident and the other owner suffered too? Every case is different but the cited example was that the dogs were NOT on a leash in a public park. That is NO accident. It’s a CHOICE. It’s also a tragedy waiting to happen. Either by those dogs attacking another, possibly getting attacked by another off leash dog or wild life, maybe being hit by a car chasing something. Famous last words…Oh my dog would NEVER do that!
Being a geeky math major my initial thought is to add up the costs, What I paid for the dog, the training, the spay and tack, the TPLO surgery and then I remember back when I first got my girl Keena, my heart dog. She had just started trusting me, walking nicely on leash, becoming my every morning walk companion when she started bleeding from the eye. I took her to the local eClinic who couldn’t find anything obvious and referred me to a specialty hospital. On the 1 hour drive I was in tears. This wasn’t my 1st dog. She was my 8th that I owned. I fostered many but never ever have had that I so meshed with. The good news is that her eye was fine and 4 years later she is still my heart. She does pet Therapy visits and I know she brings smiles to so so many …. I am going to be broken when she goes. She is one of 4 dogs I currently own but I can’t imagine ever having another like her…. You can’t put a price on something that you can’t replace. She is priceless.
It’s understandable for dogs to be considered legal property. But I think they should be treated more like family members. Hopefully, that could help reduce animal cruelty too.
Why do we Americans always talk about money to put value on a life, any life? E are so materialistic? Why would u even ask the question what is the financial value of life? Only in America are we so obsessed with money!!
It’s not about money! What happened is tragic for both the pup and the little girl. It is tragic for the owner of the 2 dogs also – he had to decide to euthanize one of his dogs who I am sure he loved as much as we all love our babies! It was not intentional and accidents and tragedy happen all the time life – it is part of. A life has been given for a life, so stop. What else do u want? U want value!!! Aka money. What a sad culture we have become, money is all, hidden behind a sense of our own righteousness!
Getting through the horror of this story, I feel that an owner of an aggressive dog that takes the life of another dog should harshly be dealt with. Rather than a blanket conclusion be reached about the fate of the attacking dog, (which should be done case by case), in one of these attacks the owner should….. 1. Pay each and every vet bill for the dog attacked, that has to do with injuries, even if it’s a year down the road, and pay for cremation if that is the ultimate result. 2. Pay for the family to get a new dog, when the time is right, and pay for all vet treatment a new dog receives. This might be $500, or it might be $1,000 or more depending on the dog killed, vetted back to health, or replaced. A dog is more than just “property” that is replaced at cost. The cost of pet ownership revolves constantly, and that cost should be borne by the owner of a dog that takes life away.
There is no amount of money that could compensate this family for such a terrible loss and horrendous emotional distress . The owner of the illegally off leash dogs should be held criminally liable for negligence along with civil penalties and damages for emotional distress. When we as a society decide too many innocent dogs and owners are the victims of such terrible human behavior and enact laws to combat it these heart breaking situations will become rare .
This doesn’t answer the question but why isn’t the owner of the dead puppy in the hospital recovering from his or her injuries? I would battle more than 2 dogs for my babies.
Cost of the dog, all Vet expenses, training, to say nothing of the fact that this very young child and other young children witnessing have had traumatic vision and memories, possibly nightmares! ALL of those kids may be terrified of parks, and dogs of all kinds forever! The horror of the event, the sounds, visual and the screaming is beyond belief!
I would have psychological evaluations of every child and adult there at the time…with all trauma costs legislated for EACH child, and adult present with that killing. The negligent owner of the attacking dogs needs put their dog(s) to sleep, so they can’t ever attack a small animal or child again. It doesn’t matter if a public park or dog park. Obviously the attacking dog/or dogs were NOT safe to be off-lead ANYPLACE, and may not be safe if the owner can not physically hold back dogs their size and in attack mode. Not one of my Dogs could be “replaced” at any amount of money.I have Champions, and show and/or breeding costs should be counted into fees if applicable. It isn’t just “get another dog!” The vicious attack is appalling. and cause due to lack of control by the other owner.
I know you want a reply as to what amount we’d put on our dogs’ lives but I honestly can’t fathom that any amount would be enough. But if something like that happened to one of mine, yes I’d sue and the amount would be enormous.
Nancy Kerns: Wow we all DID go off in different directions here. But in answer to your question, I have heard of several people who had similar things happen in a public area with leash laws AND in dog parks. The only monetary awards I’ve seen have been for Vet bills and in the case of an animal who was killed by another animal, the award was the Vet bills and purchase price. REALLY sad. And sadder yet, until we can get the Government and Courts to recognize animals as living beings, they will continue to just be seen as property…”just a dog” or “just a cat” or “just a hamster” by people who don’t have animals and have never been fortunate enough to have a real relationship with species that are far greater and wiser than humans.