A nine-year-old girl has been taken to hospital after being bitten by a pit bull outside her family's residence in Surrey, B.C.

The dog belonged to the family's landlord. The City of Surrey's bylaw enforcement office is investigating but says it's not aware of any previous reports of violent behaviour by the dog.

"We look at [incidents like this] from a dangerous dog perspective to see if this dog meets the definition of a dangerous dog," said Jas Rehal, a spokesperson for the City's bylaw office.

If victims injured by pets want to seek legal recourse, current law requires them to prove that the owner was purposely negligent or that the dog was known to be dangerous.

This could change in the future, however, as B.C. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver tabled new legislation on Wednesday that would make pet owners directly liable for injuries caused by their pets.

With files from Farrah Merali.