May 21, 2013
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has placed new limits on state statutes that hold dog owners liable when their pets attack.
The justices voted unanimously that a Marathon County couple should not be held liable for an attack by their dog on a three-year-old girl. The girl entered the couple's home with her mother while the homeowners were away.
The supreme court said lower courts could place limits on liability agreeing with Justice Jon Wilcox who said otherwise there would be "no stopping point" if the court allowed damages to someone who entered a home guarded by a dog without permission.
Current Wisconsin statutes say the dog owner is "liable for the full amount of damages caused by the animal."
