Can a pet sitter or boarding kennel be sued for a dog bite in Georgia?

· 3 min read

A pet sitter or boarding kennel can be sued in Georgia when a dog in their care bites someone, because anyone with temporary custody and control of an animal may be treated as its keeper, and a business that houses animals owes duties of reasonable care. Who ultimately pays depends on who controlled the dog and whether that control was exercised carelessly.

Sitters and kennels as keepers

Georgia’s animal-liability statute, O.C.G.A. § 51-2-7, applies to the keeper of a dog, not just the legal owner. A sitter watching a dog in the client’s absence, or a kennel boarding it overnight, takes on custody and control and can fall within that definition. Under the statute, recovery generally requires showing the dog had a dangerous propensity the keeper knew or should have known about, or a violation of a restraint ordinance, together with the absence of provocation.

Negligence in handling and housing

A boarding facility also has independent duties grounded in ordinary negligence. Liability can arise from how the business runs its operation, including:

  • Allowing dogs that do not know each other to mingle without proper separation.
  • Using inadequate fencing, latches, or kennels that let a dog escape and bite.
  • Understaffing or failing to train handlers to manage animals safely.
  • Ignoring signs that a particular dog was aggressive.

A sitter can be negligent in similar ways, such as letting a dog off-leash where an ordinance required restraint or failing to control a dog known to be reactive.

Contracts, insurance, and shared fault

Many kennels and professional sitters ask clients to sign waivers, but a contract between the business and the dog’s owner generally cannot waive the rights of an injured third party who never signed it. Commercial operators frequently carry liability insurance, which can be significant for recovery. The dog’s owner can stay on the hook too, and O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33 lets a jury divide the percentages of fault among the sitter or kennel, the owner, and anyone else responsible. The two-year clock in O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 limits when any such claim may be filed.

The bottom line

Pet sitters and boarding kennels are valid targets for a Georgia bite claim when they held custody of the dog and either knew of its danger or handled or housed it carelessly. The presence of a custodial business often adds insurance coverage, but the owner’s responsibility usually does not disappear.

This article is for general educational and informational purposes only and is not legal advice. It does not create an attorney-client relationship, and Georgia law may change. For advice about a specific situation, consult a licensed Georgia personal injury attorney.

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