Johnson v. Brown

PALMORE, Judge.

The appellee, Walter Brown, brought this suit for personal injuries suffered by him when bitten by a German shepherd police dog kept by the appellants, Robert Johnson and wife. The Johnsons appeal from a judgment entered pursuant to a verdict awarding Brown $1,833.15.

The evidence was in conflict as to whether (1) the Johnsons were aware of the dog’s vicious propensities and (2) Brown had been warned to beware of the dog. The ultimate question before us is whether KRS 258.275(1), enacted in 1954, makes these questions immaterial.

The historical incidence of our dog-bite statutes…