This isn’t a fluff piece about menacing mutts—it’s a demand for justice. When dangerous dogs hurt people, it’s not a neighborly dog problem—it’s a community safety issue ripe for the New Hampshire Legislature to own up to.
1. Current Law Doesn’t Cut It: Civil Only? Not Enough
Under RSA 466:19, New Hampshire imposes strict civil liability on dog owners and keepers—even if the victim wasn’t bitten, but injured via a fall or scare. But it provides no criminal consequences unless bodily injury comes from something extreme like intentional siccing. That’s backward. Victims shouldn’t have to drag their lives into court to prove damage every time a negligent owner lets a dog loose.
Why no criminal charges against negligence? If someone’s horse trampled a child, there’d be criminal liability if the pasture gate was left open. Why should dog owners get a pass?
2. We’ve Got Bills Waiting—Let’s Deliver
Legislative proposals like HB 670 (reintroduced in recent sessions) attempt to raise fines and penalties for nuisance or vicious dogs. That’s a start, but still lacks bite—especially when people are hospitalized due to negligent restraint or escape.
Other jurisdictions punish reckless dog release with criminal negligence charges: dogs running loose, repeat at-large violations, or serious injuries caused without provocation should trigger misdemeanor or felony charges.
It’s time for NH to catch up.
3. What Real Reform Looks Like
🔒 Define Criminal Negligence
- If a dog escapes and seriously injures someone, the dog owner should face Class A misdemeanor charges for reckless endangerment.
- Repeat offenses or expert evidence of dangerousness should escalate to Class B felony assault charges—equating dog weaponization with other dangerous tools.
🧾 Mandatory Dangerous Dog Registry & Insurance
- Owners whose dogs have injured people should be required to register their pet, carry liability insurance, and face strict controls (leash, muzzle, confinement).
- Any subsequent bite should be automatic aggravation of charges.
👮 Enforcement & Penalties
- Failure to report a dog bite or sighting by owners—themselves or witnesses—should carry fines, and transportation to criminal court for possible jail time if injury results.
- Policymakers must mandate follow-through enforcement, not just passing laws. Counties and towns need funding and training to investigate violations thoroughly.
4. Why Conservatives Should Back This
We believe in personal responsibility, property rights, and limited government—but that doesn’t mean letting irresponsible behaviors go unchecked. A law-abiding citizen should not fear a dog unleashed without consequence.
Across the board—from Manchester’s child mauling to elderly and disabled victims—these attacks hurt individuals and erode trust in public safety. If you let a dog escape, that’s your fault. If your dog had known aggressive behavior, that’s your problem. If you turn your pet into a weapon—intentional or by choice—you answer in Criminal Court.
5. Political Wake-Up Call
We the People of New Hampshire demand:
- That the State House pass real laws making serious dog injuries a criminal matter.
- That law enforcement and prosecutors actually pursue charges—no allowing dangerous dog owners to skate on civil suits alone.
- That policymakers understand this isn’t about hating dogs—it’s about respecting law and order, protecting vulnerable citizens, and preserving community safety.
We don’t need nanny-state interference—but we do need lawmakers who will defend the citizen injured by a dog unleashed through negligence or malicious intent.
🧾 Final Word
The dog bite statute is nice until someone is in the ER. But real justice demands more than compensation—it demands criminal accountability. It’s time our Legislature called out irresponsible dog ownership for what it is—and passed the laws necessary to keep Granite Staters safe.
We can love dogs. But we also love order, responsibility, and the value of a human life.
Let’s make New Hampshire the national example of how to tame the careless—and keep our streets safe.
This attack caught on camera involved an elderly man who viciously attacked around 6 a.m. on August 26. Witnesses say he was hanging onto life before being airlifted away. #pitbull #dogattack #fox26
Authors’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, LLC, GraniteGrok.com, its sponsors, readers, authors, or advertisers.
Got Something to Say, We Want to Hear It. Comment or submit Op-Eds to steve@granitegrok.com
No Episode of Manch Talk was available this week. We hope to be back on schedule next week.
