Under South Carolina law, dog owners are held strictly liable for the damages that their pets may cause others to suffer. What this means is that, regardless of whether or not the owner had prior knowledge that their dog might have dangerous or aggressive tendencies, they will be held liable for the injuries suffered by others in the event of a bite or attack. There are, however, certain exceptions to this rule: owners are not held liable if the person whom their animal attacked was trespassing on private property, or if the attack victim provoked the dog into attacking.