Leash Laws in Broomfield

If you own a dog, you have a responsibility to follow laws and ordinances meant to keep people and animals safe. Leash laws deter unprovoked attacks and prevent injuries. If a dog bites you or attacks your dog, you could have a right to compensation from the animal’s owner.

Colorado does not have a specific set of leash laws and only requires that you always control your dog. The state encourages municipalities to adopt their own leash laws, and these laws can vary from city to city. There are leash laws in Broomfield, and our dog bite injury attorneys could help you understand them.

Dogs Running at Large Are Forbidden

Broomfield, Colorado, Ordinances § 6-08-140 describes animals running at large as those off the owner’s premises and not controlled by a leash, on an unfenced area of the owner’s property when the owner is not present to exert control, unleashed in the common area of an apartment or condominium, or tethered on the owner’s property but with a leash that extends beyond the property line. Broomfield, Colorado, Ordinances § 6-08-110 defines a leash as a rope, cord, chain, or other similar item that is substantial enough to restrain the dog. Failing to obey leash ordinances in Broomfield could lead to fines and impoundment without notice. However, if a dog attacks you, the consequences could be much more serious.

Provoked Versus Unprovoked Attacks

Broomfield, Colorado, Ordinances § 6-20-010 indicates that an unprovoked dog attack that causes injuries is unlawful, whether it occurs on the owner’s property or elsewhere. The owner has broken the law, and our attorneys could use this fact in a negligence lawsuit to win compensation for your losses.

However, there are exceptions you should be aware of, because the dog owner could use these exceptions in their defense. The rules are different if the attack is not unprovoked, as in the following situations:

• The dog is defending someone being attacked or molested by another person
• The person is unlawfully attempting to enter the dog owner’s vehicle where the dog is confined
• You taunt the animal in such a way that its attack on you would be reasonably foreseeable
• The attacked person is unlawfully entering the dog owner’s premises, and the dog defends the property
• The attacked person is not on their own property and is not an animal control or police officer but is trying to capture the dog without its owner present

When a Broomfield dog owner fails to leash or control a dog, they have broken the law, and the outcome could be dangerous. Our attorneys take pride in winning cases for clients who have suffered injuries due to the negligence or recklessness of others. Contact us if an unleashed dog has attacked you.

When Does a Lawsuit Make Sense?

One way to find closure after a dog attack may be to file a claim against the owner to reimburse you for medical bills, wages lost while recuperating, pain, emotional harm, and your diminished quality of life if you have lasting disfigurement or disability as a result of the attack. Our attorneys prove negligence by showing the dog owner acted below the standard of a reasonable person who, under the leash regulations of Broomfield, should always contain or control their dog. After a dog bite or attack, we seek a just verdict from the jury.

Contact Us If a Dog Owner Has Ignored Leash Ordinances in Broomfield

A dog can be a cherished family member, or it can be aggressive and unfriendly. No matter how a dog behaves, its owners are responsible for controlling it, ensuring that no one gets hurt.

If you have suffered injuries from a loose dog that you did not provoke, call our skilled litigators for help today. About 4.5 million dogs in the United States bite or attack someone every year, according to Forbes, but these attacks do not have to go unpunished. If an owner fails to follow leash laws in Broomfield, it is time for you to act.