Question:
There are numerous dogs that constantly roam about in our yard all the time no leashes. The other day I got into a bad bicycle accident because a dog attacked me while I was riding my bike.
The HOA community does not seem to be monitoring or doing anything about this. Should the police department be notified?
Thanks,
Vincent
Answer:
Hi Vincent,
You are not alone in your concerns regarding unleashed and unmonitored animals. We hate to see that you were involved in an attack! There are certainly ways your HOA Community could get involved. We list many of those ways here in this article. However, unless policies such as these are outlined in the community’s governing documents there is nothing an HOA is “required” to do regarding stray/animal concerns.
Your local Animal Control Department is going to be your most direct route of resolution. Report strays and report attacks and encourage other owners in your HOA to do the same. Officers will remove strays and dangerous animals from your community as best as they can.
If you know who the owner of the animal(s) are, when you call animal control, officers will ask you to explain the issue thoroughly and include your neighbor’s information (address, names, phone numbers, etc). If the officers believe your concern is valid, they will most likely contact and warn your neighbor. Should the problem continue, and you continue to report the issue, your neighbor could receive a citation, which they would pay or challenge in court.
Do you mind if we post this question and answer on our website? We won’t share any personal information other than your first name.
Disclaimer: We are not lawyers. The information provided on this website does not constitute legal advice.
