Ken Harrington, a 30 year marine veteran and retired colonel, had to do what every dog owner dreads. He had to bury his German Shepherd Dog, Dakota, after he was run over by a car. The dog escaped from his yard after he bolted after a deer, and the driver, Maggie Cassaro, couldn’t stop in time. Dakota was Harrington’s best friend and companion, so he was devastated. But just nine weeks after burying his beloved dog, Harrington found out that Cassaro was suing him for damages to her car in the amount of just over $900.
Cassaro alleges that it is the owner’s fault that her car was damaged, and the law is on her side. Harrington points out that dogs do not need to be restrained by a leash on their owner’s property, which is true. But the fence that kept Dakota on the property wasn’t adequate enough to keep him from running into the street. Harrington also says that it’s impossible to stop a hunting dog from taking off after an animal, but proper training and an adequate fence probably would have saved his dog’s life.
It’s easy to pain Cassaro as a bad person because she is asking for damages, but really she had no way of stopping the car, and Harrington is at fault for not keeping his own dog safe. Harrington has suffered a great loss and deserves sympathy. No one is coming out of this situation happy. The lesson to take away from this is to make sure your dog has a leash or adequate fence, even on your own property. You never know when they could bolt and get hurt.
What do you think? Is Harrington at fault? Is Cassaro in the wrong in asking for damages? Let us know in the comments below!
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