Bitten at a Brewery: Who’s Liable for Dog Bites at San Diego’s Dog-Friendly Establishments?

By Eugene Bruno on April 24, 2025

In sunny San Diego, where outdoor living and pet-friendly businesses thrive, it’s not uncommon to find dogs lounging under brewery tables or mingling with patrons on restaurant patios. But what happens when a seemingly friendly environment turns dangerous? Specifically, who is responsible when a dog bite occurs at one of San Diego’s dog-friendly establishments?

This question lands in a legal gray area, where public access, private property, alcohol, and off-leash pets collide. Understanding dog bite premises liability is crucial for injury victims seeking justice.

California Leash Laws and Dog Owner Responsibility

Under California law, dog owners are subject to strict liability for injuries caused by their pets, regardless of whether the dog had previously shown signs of aggression.

According to leash laws in California, dogs must be restrained in public spaces unless in a designated off-leash area. This legal baseline sets the stage for evaluating dog owner negligence in off-leash dog environments at breweries or outdoor patios.

If a dog was off-leash in violation of state or local leash laws and bites someone, the owner may be liable. But if the incident occurred at a business establishment, things can get more complicated. This is where business liability comes into play.

Are Breweries and Dog-Friendly Businesses Liable?

A growing number of San Diego breweries openly welcome dogs. Some even advertise it as a perk. But these perks come with risks.

Business owners are responsible for maintaining a safe environment. This includes managing risks they knowingly introduce, like allowing animals in areas where patrons are drinking alcohol.

If a venue allows dogs on-site, especially without enforcing leash policies or clear behavioral rules, it may open the door to bar injury liability under premises liability law. Further, a lack of signage or safety rules at dog-friendly venues can serve as additional evidence that the business failed to warn or protect patrons about foreseeable harm.

The Overlooked Risks of Mixing Alcohol and Animals

The risk of dog attacks in public places is magnified when alcohol is involved. People may be less vigilant with their pets, less responsive to cues of animal discomfort, or slower to react to escalating behavior.

When businesses choose to allow animals in drinking environments without proper oversight, they may unintentionally enable unsafe scenarios. Key factors that could signal business premises liability include:

• No leash enforcement or inconsistent enforcement
• Poor crowd control and limited separation between dogs and guests
• Lack of staff training on how to respond to aggressive dog behavior
• Failing to intervene when a pet shows signs of distress or aggression

Legal Gray Area: Public vs. Semi-Private Property

While a bar or brewery may be privately owned, inviting the public in—especially without supervision of animal interactions—creates a legal gray area. These establishments walk a fine line between being a public accommodation and a semi-private gathering space. But once the public is welcomed in, property owners assume a duty of care to ensure safety.

That means if a dog bite happens on their premises, especially in outdoor patios or communal seating areas, the injured party could potentially pursue damages from both the dog owner and the business.

Shared Liability May Include Businesses

In some cases, the court may find shared liability between the dog’s owner and the business. If the establishment had a brewery dog policy on paper but failed to enforce it, or if there were no clear policies at all, the business could be partially liable.

Common failures that can lead to shared liability:

• Permitting dogs known to be aggressive to remain on the premises
• Failing to remove dogs after aggressive behavior is reported
• Not posting visible warnings or dog-related policies
• Serving alcohol in crowded areas where dogs are present and space is tight

This means victims of dog bites at breweries or restaurants may have a stronger claim when it can be shown that the venue failed to manage the risk.

Case Example: A Dog Bite at a San Diego Brewery

Imagine you’re enjoying a sunny afternoon at a popular dog-friendly brewery in San Diego, seated near other patrons with their dogs. One dog, off-leash, lunges toward you without warning and bites your hand.

You later discover that the brewery has no posted rules about pet behavior, and staff didn’t ask the dog’s owner to leash their pet even after earlier growling episodes. In this scenario, the brewery might be liable for creating an unsafe environment by:

• Not requiring dogs to be leashed
• Not responding to early signs of aggression
• Failing to separate dogs and guests in congested areas

These failures highlight how dog bite premises liability is not always black and white. However, the injured person still deserves accountability and compensation.

Talk to a San Diego Dog Bite Attorney Today

For over 30 years, Eugene Bruno & Associates has been helping accident victims and their families get the money they need to cover the cost of medical treatment and other expenses. Our law firm has a 99.7% success rate and an A Rating from the Better Business Bureau, and Expertise.com selected us as the Best Personal Injury Lawyers in San Diego.

Call 1-888-BRUNO-88 (1-888-278-6688) to schedule your FREE consultation with one of our dog bite lawyers in San Diego. Our attorneys take cases on a contingency basis, so you won’t owe us anything unless we win.