[TheDoctor]

The lesson to be learned here for everyone is that if your dog is declared a "dangerous or potentially dangerous dog," it is critical to keep your dog contained. For your dog's sake, safety's sake, and the sake of your wallet.

It's pretty hard to defend your dog from accusations when your dog is off-property and out of sight.

If it were me, I would attend the court hearing with an attorney if I could afford one and without one if I couldn't. I would dress professionally and be polite. I would explain what steps I had taken to assure that my dog was never at large again, I would have any witnesses I could to attest to the temperament of my dog, and I would try.

But hindsight is always so clear... Keep ALL dogs contained, but when the dangerous dog label is involved, don't make ANY mistakes. If you can't keep your "dangerous or potentially dangerous dog" from running at large, you probably shouldn't have one.