Court puts a leash on suit by man bitten by dog

HOLLY (AP) — Upset about a dog bite? Sometimes it’s better to keep your hand in your pocket.

Thomas Cummings was bitten by a dog when he put his hand over a fence in Holly. But the Michigan appeals court ruled in favor of the dog’s owners, saying Cummings was trespassing, even if he was standing on the other side of the fence.

In a 3-0 decision Tuesday, the court says “no reasonable juror” could conclude that Cummings had permission to put his hand over the fence, especially after the dog was running around and growling at him.

The owners said the dog was “uncomfortable with strangers.”