Usually the owner is liable for injuries caused by wild animals kept as pets under the doctrine of strict liability. The owner is liable despite utmost care on his part to prevent such harm or even if he is not aware of the animal’s dangerous propensities.
On the contrary, owner of a domestic animal, which belongs to a harmless species, is not liable for the harm caused by his pet unless he has prior knowledge of its dangerous inclinations and so long he has taken reasonable care.
The owner of a dog, which belongs to a particular breed with dangerous traits, would be deemed to have notice of such hidden instincts even if the dog in question has never exhibited any hazardous propensities in the past. Accordingly, the owner of such dog would be held strictly liable for any injury by the animal.
However, even the owner of a dog, which belongs to a harmless species, cannot avoid taking reasonable care to prevent injuries.
