Many landlords do not allow their tenants to have animals, and with good reason. Not only can they damage an apartment, but they can be dangerous to those living in the building, especially when the animal is not restrained.This happened to be the case in 2003 when a dog attacked a 2-year-old child in Sumter County, South Carolina, according to the Associated Press. After the dog aggressively confronted the toddler, the family was forced to spend $17,000 in medical bills.
Recently, the South Carolina Supreme Court decided that the case will be sent to a lower court to determine if the landlord should be charged for the incident. The individual allegedly knew that the dog, which had lived in the building for 10 years, had attacked people before.
Although many people assume that they could never be the victim of an attack by a neighbor's dog, these instances happen everyday. Those who want to increase their personal safety might want to buy pepper spray. When used properly, it can temporarily blind an aggressive animal and give a victim the chance to seek help.
