Opinion ID: 2407207
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Heading: Nature of Vicious Animal Cases

Text: A correct classification of this case is important, since that decision also controls the nature of the acceptable defenses to the action. In Texas, actions for damages caused by vicious domestic animals have sometimes been cast as common law negligence cases, at other times as strict liability cases, and sometimes as either. Comment, Personal Injuries by Animals in Texas, 4 Baylor L.Rev. 183 (1952). Among the cases which have been pleaded and tried as negligence cases are: H. E. Butt Grocery Company v. Perez, 408 S.W. 2d 576 (Tex.Civ.App.1966, no writ); Zuniga v. Storey, 239 S.W.2d 125 (Tex.Civ. App.1951, writ ref'd n.r.e.); Dakan v. Humphreys, 190 S.W.2d 371 (Tex.Civ. App.1945, no writ); Herring v. Schingler, 101 S.W.2d 394 (Tex.Civ.App.1937, writ dism'd); Villareal v. Alexander, 13 S.W.2d 712 (Tex.Civ.App.1929, no writ); Pettus v. Weyel, 225 S.W. 191 (Tex.Civ.App.1920, writ ref'd); Trinity & S. Ry. Co. v. O'Brien, 18 Tex.Civ.App. 690, 46 S.W. 389 (1898, no writ); Badali v. Smith, 37 S.W. 642 (Tex.Civ.App. 1896, no writ). Strict liability has been applied in about an equal number of vicious animal cases. In Moore v. McKay, 55 S.W.2d 865 (Tex. Civ.App.1933, no writ), the court noticed that Badali v. Smith, 37 S.W. 642 (Tex. Civ.App.1896, no writ), in applying negligence rules conflicted with Triolo v. Foster, 57 S.W. 698 (Tex.Civ.App.1900, no writ), which charged an owner with liability for damages for injuries in keeping an animal which the owner knew or had reason to know was vicious. The court ruled that the defendant's negligence was not the proper basis for liability. Comment, Personal Injuries by Animals in Texas, 4 Baylor L.Rev. 183 (1952). These cases have approved the strict liability theory: Wells v. Burns, 480 S.W.2d 31 (Tex.Civ.App. 1972, no writ); Arrington Funeral Home v. Taylor, 474 S.W.2d 299 (Tex.Civ.App. 1971, writ ref'd n.r.e.); Lewis v. Great Southwest Corporation, 473 S.W.2d 228 (Tex.Civ.App.1971, writ ref'd n.r.e.); Hill v. Palms, 237 S.W.2d 455 (Tex.Civ. App.1951, no writ); Bly v. Swafford, 199 S.W.2d 1015 (Tex.Civ.App.1947, no writ); Gamer v. Winchester, 110 S.W.2d 1190 (Tex.Civ.App.1937, writ dism'd); Moore v. McKay, supra ; Copley v. Wills, 152 S.W. 830 (Tex.Civ.App.1913, no writ); Barklow v. Avery, 40 Tex.Civ.App. 355, 89 S.W. 417 (1905, no writ); Triolo v. Foster, supra ; Note, 16 Tex.L.Rev. 395 (1938). We approve the rule expressed in Moore v. McKay, supra , that suits for damages caused by vicious animals should be governed by principals of strict liability, and disapprove the cases which hold the contrary. W. Prosser, Law of Torts § 76 (4th ed. 1971); 2 F. Harper & F. James, the Law of Torts § 14.11 (1956). The correct rule is expressed in Restatement of Torts §§ 507, 509 (1938): § 507. LIABILITY OF POSSESSOR OF WILD ANIMAL. Except as stated in §§ 505 and 517, a possessor of a wild animal is subject to liability to others, except trespassers on his land, for such harm done by the animal to their persons, lands or chattels as results from a dangerous propensity which is characteristic of wild animals of its class or of which the possessor has reason to know, although he has exercised the utmost care to confine the animals or otherwise prevent it from doing harm. § 509. HARM DONE BY ABNORMALLY DANGEROUS DOMESTIC ANIMALS. Except as stated in § 517, a possessor of a domestic animal which he has reason to know has dangerous propensities abnormal to its class, is subject to liability for harm caused thereby to others, except trespassers on his land, although he has exercised the utmost care to prevent it from doing the harm. The jury in this case refused to find that the defendant actually knew that the hog was vicious and was likely to cause injury to persons, but it did find in answer to special issue four that the defendant prior to plaintiff's injury should have known that fact. Defendant Ranne does not challenge the finding to issue four. The Restatement, quoted above, uses the phrase has reason to know and the fourth special issue submitted in this case used the phrase should have known. There is no essential distinction between the two terms as explained in Restatement (Second) of Torts § 12 (1965): § 12. Reason to Know; Should Know (1) The words reason to know are used throughout the Restatement of this Subject to denote the fact that the actor has information from which a person of reasonable intelligence or of the superior intelligence of the actor would infer that the fact in question exists, or that such person would govern his conduct upon the assumption that such fact exists. (2) The words should know are used throughout the Restatement of this Subject to denote the fact that a person of reasonable prudence and intelligence or of the superior intelligence of the actor would ascertain the fact in question in the performance of his duty to another, or would govern his conduct upon the assumption that such fact exists.