Liability of owner or custodian for damages done to livestock, poultry, or pet animal by dog

(a) The owner or, if no owner can be found, the custodian exercising care and control over any dog which while off the owner’s or custodian’s property causes injury, death, or damage directly or indirectly to any livestock, poultry, or pet animal shall be civilly liable to the owner of the livestock, poultry, or pet animal for injury, death, or damage caused by the dog. The owner or, if no owner can be found, the custodian exercising care and control over any dog shall be liable for any damage caused by such dog to public or private property. The liability of the owner or custodian of the dog shall include consequential damages. (b) This Code section is to be considered cumulative of other remedies provided by law. There is no intent to eliminate or limit other causes of action which might inure to the owner of any livestock, poultry, or pet animal. (Ga. L. 1969, p. 831, § 4; Ga. L. 2012, p. 1290, § 2/HB 685.) The 2012 amendment, effective July 1, 2012, in subsection (a), in the first sentence, substituted ‘‘while off the owner’s or custodian’s property’’ for ‘‘goes upon the land of another and’’, substituted ‘‘livestock, poultry, or pet animal’’ for ‘‘livestock or poultry’’, and substituted ‘‘livestock, poultry, or pet animal for injury, death, or damage’’ for ‘‘livestock or poultry for damages, death, or injury’’ near the Page: 102 Job Path: @psc3912/cville_data1/stcodes/ga/lexis/ep_rv_04_txt 0000 41826-12 Date: 06/14/13 Time: 10:58:23 GA RV 13 RV 4(T4-6) - EP ANIMALS end, and added the second sentence; and, in the second sentence of subsection (b), substituted ‘‘eliminate’’ for ‘‘do away with’’ and substituted ‘‘livestock, poultry, or pet animal’’ for ‘‘livestock or poultry’’ at the end. See the editor’s note for applicability.