Menachem Mendel

The Armchair Ethicist has a case that is great for those who like to apply rabbinic law to modern situations.

Over the weekend, my husband and I left our dog with a friend. Our friend got distracted while walking her, and our dog ran across the street and attacked a small dog. We feel the dog’s veterinary bills ($700) are our responsibility, not that of the other dog’s owners, but should our friend contribute as well? She knew how aggressive our dog could be, but she chose not to use her harness. Our friend did apologize but did not offer to contribute to the cost.

This is a case for the laws of shomrim. This seems like the case of a negligent shomer ḥinam who should be responsible for the veterinary bills.

Posted on August 22nd, 2011 under Jewish Law • RSS 2.0 feed • Both comments and pings are currently closed