Change the Laws That Unfairly Favor Dogs Over People

I received email from a concerned parent about dangerous dogs in the neighborhood. This family
lives in Georgia.

As you might know from reading Legal Rights of Dog Bite Victims in the USA, Georgia is one
of the “mixed law” states — meaning a state that has a dog bite statute that incorporates the law of
England as it existed on July 4, 1776. About a third of our states use the so-called “one bite law”
(the English law) in one form or another. It has no place in modern America, but it exists
nevertheless.

I always tell people in these states that they can help themselves by making some phone calls.
When the law of your state protects dogs rather than children and seniors (the two groups of
people who are usually the victims of severe dog attacks), you need to get the law changed.

It’s easier than you think.

I assisted in rewriting the dog laws of Tennessee several years ago. It was at the request of one of
their state senators, Doug Jackson. Three people had contacted him about getting the laws
rewritten, he in turn contacted me, I wrote the first draft of 5 bills, and the bills were enacted into
law.

After the new laws were passed, he said to me, “Ken, people don’t realize that it only takes 2 or 3
constituents complaining about something directly to one of our legislators in order for a bill to
get introduced.”

Getting this started in your state is up to you.

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