Who pays the vet bill if my dog gets sick at a kennel?

Dec 29, 2021

Many pet owners worry about their pets getting injured or ill when left at a boarding facility. However, sometimes boarding your pet is necessary.

Who is responsible for the bill if your dog gets sick at the kennel?

Assumption of risk

A recent outbreak of kennel cough, a highly contagious upper-respiratory illness that affects dogs, prompted one local kennel to pay the vet bills of more than 50 dogs that got sick after staying at the business. However, not all kennel owners are so willing to cover thousands of dollars in veterinary bills.

Most boarding facilities require owners to provide proof of vaccination against kennel cough and other diseases and sign a contract that includes a waiver of liability. This can make winning a case against a kennel difficult for pet owners.

Legal responsibility of kennels

Connecticut law requires kennel owners to maintain safe and structurally sound kennels and provide isolation facilities for dogs quarantined or under treatment for contagious diseases. Additionally, kennels must confine dogs in separate cages.

For pet owners to hold kennels liable for an injury or illness to a pet, the pet owner must prove that the kennel owed a duty that it breached and that the breach of duty resulted in the injury or illness.

Proving that a kennel breached a duty and that the breach caused your dog to get sick can be difficult. However, if you can prove your case, it may be possible to collect damages, such as the cost of your veterinary bills.

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