Unfortunately, no one is liable for a stray animal. Strays do not have owners, which means that there’s no one responsible for them or liable in case they attack a person.

When a stray animal attacks, the victim is expected to take care of his/her own injury and other expenses. It is this kind of situation where insurance proves to be useful. Without insurance, medical expenses for the treatment of dog bite injuries would have to be paid out of the victim’s pocket. The cost is no small figure–the average insurance claim for a dog bite injury is said to be almost $30,000.

Normally, when an animal is owned or considered a pet, the owner or, in some cases, the keeper, would be deemed liable for an attack by the said animal. The victim could file a personal injury lawsuit or claim against the animal’s owner, and recover damages for the treatment of the injury, psychological and emotional trauma, and even cosmetic surgery to repair the scar left by the attack.

All those expenses would fall on the victim if the animal does not have an owner. There might be liability if the animal that attacked a person was from the municipal pound and escaped due to someone’s negligence. That would be a rare situation and a serious claim which would need to be investigated thoroughly.