Owner Responsibility Laws in AZ

The animal owner responsibility laws for Mesa, and all of Arizona, are fairly standard with regards to attacks by either a domesticated pet or a wild/exotic animal.  If you injured by a domesticated pet or a wild/exotic animal, call the John C. Giles Law Firm. 

Some examples of domesticated animals include:

• Dogs
• Cats
• Ferrets
• Birds, such as parrots

Wild or exotic animals may include:

• Tigers or other wild cats
• Monkeys or chimpanzees
• Alligators or crocodiles

If an owner is shown to have been negligent in their keeping and restraint of the animal, current Arizona law says that the victim of their animal’s attack may be able to recover damages even without proving the creature was known to be a danger or threat prior to the incident. Examples of proper containment usually include:

• Secure fence
• Cage
• Restriction to a particular room in the owner’s home, such as the basement

The law is clear that animal owners are always liable for damages if they knew their pet had a propensity for viciousness or ever exhibited threatening behavior, but failed to take every possible step to protect people from being bitten. The laws are even stricter in AZ when it comes to wild animal owners, as these animals are naturally expected to be far less predictable than their domestic counterparts. However, this stringency upon exotic animal keepers may not apply if the animal is deemed to have been properly confined when the attack occurred, or if the victim is proven to have provoked the animal while it was caged or otherwise reasonably restrained, or if the victim was trespassing on the owner’s property. In these cases, liability will be decided according to the specifics of the case.

For more advice on laws regarding animal attacks, owner responsibilities, and possible claims, contact the law office of John C. Giles to set up a consultation at 866-267-7132, or complete the web form and one of our staff members will call you.