Oregon Leash Laws

Oregon Lawsuits Based On Leash Law Violations

While there are no statewide Oregon leash laws that impose liability on dog owners, many Oregon counties and cities have leash laws that can be used to hold dog owners responsible for injuries resulting from their animal attacking or biting a person.  

This is important because, typically, Oregon dog owners have limited responsibility for injuries caused by their dogs unless the owner was aware of theirdog's abnormally dangerous propensities.  

However, if a dog owner violated a local or county leash law, they may be responsible for resulting injuries through the doctrine of negligence per se.  To establish a negligence per se claim, the injured person must prove that (1) the dog owner or possessor violated a statute or rule, (2) that they were injured as a result of that violation, (3) that the injured person was a member of the class of persons that the statute or rule was meant to protect, and (4) that the injury was the type that the statute was enacted to prevent.  

County By County Leash Laws in Oregon