Over the past few months, Philadelphia has experienced a number of dangerous dog shootings in which police officers have resorted to shooting dogs to stop attacks on officers, other people, and other dogs. Philadelphia Dog Attack Lawyers know how serious dog attacks can be and the consequences can be devastating, even deadly.
Common injuries sustained in dog attacks include deep lacerations and punctures, muscle and tissue damage, disfigurement, broken bones, and emotional trauma.
Dog bite attorneys at The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C. know that due to the severity of dog attack injuries, police officers sometimes have to use deadly force to stop dog attacks, but unfortunately, police officers are not always on the scene to intervene when dog attacks occur.
Dog attack shootings in Philadelphia
See below for details of some of these recent Philadelphia dog attacks that resulted in police discharging their firearms.
- February 27, 2019 – Officers arrived at a North Philadelphia home to serve a warrant. When they entered the home to serve the warrant, two pit bulls charged at them. Officers shot both dogs in response.
- January 7, 2019 – Officers responded to a report of a dog attack in Northeast Philadelphia. They arrived at the reported attack to find two pit bulls attacking a woman and a dog, and officers shot both dogs to stop the attack. Two weeks prior, those same dogs had reportedly attacked and killed another dog. Two men sustained injuries in the same prior dog attack. Philadelphia police said they had previously been to the dog owners’ house over two dozen times attempting to serve the pit bull owners with a dangerous dog citation. Their attempts were unsuccessful.
- January 17, 2019 – Three police officers arrived at a house in North Philadelphia to serve a warrant. While they were standing outside of the house a loose dog attacked two of the officers. The third officer shot the attacking dog four times and killed it.
- December 9, 2018 – A police officer responded to a call of three pit bulls attacking a dog in a neighboring yard in North Philadelphia. The police officer fired his gun hitting one of the dogs in response to the attack.
Pennsylvania dog bite law
In general, dog owners in Pennsylvania will be responsible for medical expenses related to dog bites and attacks. Compensation beyond medical expenses will not typically be available to dog bite victims unless any of the following circumstances are true:
- The owner knew or should have known that the dog had previously bitten someone or had previously exhibited aggressive behavior indicating that it may bite or attack someone.
- The dog attack resulted in serious injuries including broken bones, required stitches, or necessary cosmetic surgery.
- The dog attack happened when the dog’s owner was violating animal control laws such as allowing the dog to run off leash and otherwise unrestrained in a public place.
If you or a loved one has sustained Injuries caused by a dog attack, contact an Attorney at The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C. to discuss your claim and injuries sustained.