---
title: O.C.G.A. § 4-8-4. Liability of owner or custodian for damages done to livestock, poultry, or pet animal by dog.
collection: code
id: 4-8-4
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 4-8-4 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/4-8-4
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/4-8-4.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/4-8-4/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t4-6-(v4)-2013-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=8c0a1199_0#page=101
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
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current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: ANIMALS / DOGS / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 4-8-4. Liability of owner or custodian for damages done to livestock, poultry, or pet animal by dog.

(a) The owner or, if no owner can be found, the custodian exercising care and control over any dog which while off the owner’s or custodian’s property causes injury, death, or damage directly or indirectly to any livestock, poultry, or pet animal shall be civilly liable to the owner of the livestock, poultry, or pet animal for injury, death, or damage caused by the dog. The owner or, if no owner can be found, the custodian exercising care and control over any dog shall be liable for any damage caused by such dog to public or private property. The liability of the owner or custodian of the dog shall include consequential damages.

(b) This Code section is to be considered cumulative of other remedies provided by law. There is no intent to eliminate or limit other causes of action which might inure to the owner of any livestock, poultry, or pet animal.

## History

Ga. L. 1969, p. 831, § 4; Ga. L. 2012, p. 1290, § 2/HB 685.

## Cross References

Provisions regarding liability of owner of dog which kills or injures livestock, § 51-2-6.

## Editor's Notes

Ga. L. 2012, p. 1290, § 6/HB 685, not codified by the General Assembly, provides, in part, that the amendment of this Code section shall apply to proceedings for the classification and registration of dogs which are pending on July 1, 2012, as well as to such proceedings which arise on or after July 1, 2012.

## Law Reviews

For survey of developments in Georgia torts law from mid-1980 through mid-1981, see 33 Mercer L. Rev. 247 (1981). For article on the 2012 amendment of this Code section, see 29 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 180 (2012).

## Other Notes

The 2012 amendment, effective July 1, 2012, in subsection (a), in the first sentence, substituted ‘‘while off the owner’s or custodian’s property’’ for ‘‘goes upon the land of another and’’, substituted ‘‘livestock, poultry, or pet animal’’ for ‘‘livestock or poultry’’, and substituted ‘‘livestock, poultry, or pet animal for injury, death, or damage’’ for ‘‘livestock or poultry for damages, death, or injury’’ near the end, and added the second sentence; and, in the second sentence of subsection (b), substituted ‘‘eliminate’’ for ‘‘do away with’’ and substituted ‘‘livestock, poultry, or pet animal’’ for ‘‘livestock or poultry’’ at the end. See the editor’s note for applicability.