Lawyer for Dog Bites in Lane County Oregon
Below are relevant portions of the Lane County, Oregon, dog bite statute located at:
Lane County Animal Control Chapter 7
7.005 Animal Control – Definitions.
For the purposes of LC 7.005 through 7.170 below, the following words and phrases mean:
Animal. Any dog, cat, exotic, wild or dangerous animal, or livestock.
Continuous Annoyance. Permit any animal to cause annoyance, alarm or disturbance for more than 15 minutes at any time of the day or night, be it repeated barking, whining, screeching, howling, braying or other like sounds which can be heard beyond the boundary of the owner’s property.
Dog-at-Large. A dog off the premises of the owner and not under the owner’s immediate control. Excepted from this definition are exhibition in dog shows, obedience training or trial, or use of the dog under the supervision of a person to hunt, chase or tree predatory animals, or game birds, or protect livestock, or in other related agricultural activities. A dog is not off the premises of its owner if the property of the owner is separated by a road or roads and the dog is on the road which separates said property. Excepted from this definition is a dog that is on private property, which is not the property of the dog owner, with the knowledge and permission of the owner of the property.
Dog Owner.
(a) Any person who is the licensed owner of a dog, or who has the right of property in a dog, or who, without regard to any ownership interest, keeps a dog, harbors a dog, or who has a dog in said person’s care, possession, custody or control, or who knowingly permits a dog to remain on any premises occupied by said owner. Except for purposes of LC 7.105, 7.110 and 7.115 below, dog owner does not include veterinarians or commercial kennel operators temporarily maintaining on their premises for a period of not less than 30 days dogs owned by other persons.
Physical Injury. Impairment of physical condition or substantial pain.
Serious Physical Injury. Physical injury which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes serious and protracted disfigurement, protracted impairment of health or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily organ.
Watchdog. A dog confined at a business for the exclusive use of protecting people or property of said business.
7.090 Reporting of Biting Dogs.
(1) The owner of a dog which bites a human shall immediately notify the Animal Regulation Authority of such bite, the time and circumstances of such bite, and the name and address of the person bitten, if known.
(2) Any person who is bitten by a dog shall forthwith notify the Animal Regulation Authority of such bite giving a description of the dog, the time and circumstances of the bite and the name and address of the owner, if known.
7.095 Lane Code 7.105
(3) When a doctor, veterinarian, hospital employee, or other person has information that a person has been bitten by a dog, such person shall notify forthwith the Animal Regulation Authority.
(4) A violation of LC 7.090 is a Class A violation.
7.110 Dogs at Large Prohibited.
(1) No dog owner shall permit a dog to be at large.
(2) A dog owner, whose dog runs at large, commits a Class D violation.
(3) A dog owner is deemed to be negligent per se for the actions of a dog at large when the dog causes injury to a person or property. (Revised by Ordinance No. 2-82, Effective 4.9.82; 13-86, 11.7.86; 3-89, 5.12.89; 1-00, 4.12.00)
7.115 Continuous Annoyance.
An animal owner who permits any animal to cause annoyance, alarm, or noise disturbance for more than 15 minutes at any time of the day or night, be it repeated barking, whining, screeching, howling, braying or other like sounds which can be heard beyond the boundary of the owner’s property commits a Class C violation.