Your dog bit someone and you don’t know what happens next. The first hours matter: what you do now affects the injured person’s health, your dog’s future, and whether you face a dog bite claim or lawsuit. This guide walks you through each step, from first aid to quarantine, insurance, and your legal risks.
What to Do If Your Dog Bites Someone: 8 Steps
1. Secure your dog
Leash your dog or put it in a closed room or crate right away, so it cannot bite again. Stay calm: shouting can make the dog more stressed.
2. Help the injured person
Offer first aid: wash the wound with soap and water and apply pressure if it bleeds. Encourage them to see a doctor, and call 911 for serious injuries.
3. Exchange information
Share your name, address, and phone number, and get the injured person’s contact details. Note the names of any witnesses.
4. Show proof of rabies vaccination
Find your dog’s rabies certificate. The injured person and their doctor need it to decide whether rabies treatment is necessary.
5. Cooperate with animal control
Many bites are reported to animal control or the health department, often by the doctor or hospital. Answer their questions honestly and follow their instructions.
6. Follow the 10-day quarantine
A dog that bites a person is usually confined and observed for 10 days to rule out rabies. Depending on local rules, this may happen at home or at a vet or shelter.
7. Notify your insurer
Tell your homeowners or renters insurance company promptly. Many policies require quick notice, and late reporting can cause problems with coverage.
8. Don’t admit fault or sign anything
Be kind and helpful, but avoid saying the bite was your fault, and don’t sign statements or agreements before talking to your insurer or a lawyer.
Will My Dog Be Quarantined or Put Down?
In most cases, a healthy dog that bites someone is not put down. Instead, it is watched for signs of rabies. The CDC recommends that a healthy dog, cat, or ferret that bites a person be confined and observed daily for 10 days. If the dog stays healthy during that time, it could not have passed rabies at the time of the bite. Read our full guide to the dog bite 10-day quarantine to learn where it takes place, who pays, and the rules to follow.
Many states make this a legal requirement, even if your dog is vaccinated. North Carolina, for example, requires every dog, cat, or ferret that bites a person to be confined for 10 days in a place chosen by the local health director (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-196), and Wisconsin has a similar 10-day quarantine rule. In many places the owner pays the cost of the quarantine.
Euthanasia is generally reserved for animals that show signs of rabies during observation, or for dogs declared dangerous by a court or local authority after a hearing, usually following serious or repeated attacks.
Can You Be Held Liable for a Dog Bite?
Yes. Whether you have to pay depends on your state’s dog bite law:
Strict liability states
You can be liable even if your dog never bit anyone before, as long as the victim did not provoke the dog and was lawfully where they were. Illinois is an example.
One-bite rule states
The victim usually has to show you knew, or should have known, your dog was dangerous. Arkansas and Texas follow this rule.
Negligence
In almost every state, you can also be liable if you were careless, for example by breaking a leash law or leaving a gate open.
Possible defenses
Common defenses include provocation, trespassing, and, in some states, the victim’s own share of fault.
In some states a bite can also have criminal consequences. In Tennessee, for example, letting a dog run at large can become a criminal offense if the dog injures someone (Tenn. Code Ann. § 44-8-408).
Does Insurance Pay If Your Dog Bites Someone?
Often, yes. The personal liability part of many homeowners and renters policies can pay for the injured person’s medical bills and your legal defense, up to your policy limit. But there are common limits:
Household members
Liability coverage usually does not pay if your dog bites you or someone who lives with you.
Breed or bite exclusions
Some insurers exclude certain breeds or dogs with a prior bite. Check your policy for an animal liability exclusion.
Policy limits
If a claim is higher than your coverage, you may have to pay the difference yourself.
Future premiums
After a claim, your insurer may raise your premium, exclude your dog, or decide not to renew your policy.
📊 How Much Could a Claim Cost?
Our Dog Bite Settlement Calculator shows how medical bills, lost wages, and shared fault affect the value of a claim.
What Not to Do After Your Dog Bites Someone
Don’t hide or move your dog
Avoiding animal control or the quarantine can lead to fines, a seized dog, or a stronger case against you.
Don’t post about it online
Social media posts can be used as evidence in a claim. Keep the details private.
Don’t ignore letters
Answer letters from animal control, insurers, or lawyers on time. Missing a deadline can hurt your position.
Don’t skip the paperwork
Keep a copy of your dog’s vaccination records, photos of the location, and notes on what happened, while you remember it clearly.
FAQ: My Dog Bit Someone
Do I have to report it if my dog bit someone?
Often yes, and the bite may be reported anyway by the doctor or hospital.
Reporting rules vary by state and city. Many local laws require bites to be reported to animal control or the health department so the dog can be observed for rabies. Contact your local animal control office to ask what applies to you.
Will my dog be put down for biting someone?
Usually not. Most healthy dogs are observed for 10 days and then returned.
Euthanasia is generally reserved for animals that show signs of rabies or for dogs declared dangerous after a hearing, usually following serious or repeated attacks.
Can the person my dog bit sue me?
Yes, depending on your state’s dog bite law and the circumstances.
In strict liability states you can be liable even for a first bite. In one-bite states the victim usually has to show you knew your dog was dangerous. The deadline to sue ranges from 1 to 6 years depending on the state.
Will my homeowners insurance go up after a dog bite?
It may: insurers can raise premiums, exclude the dog, or not renew.
Each insurer has its own rules. Report the bite promptly as your policy requires, and ask your agent how a claim could affect your coverage.
Do I need a lawyer if my dog bit someone?
Not always, but it is wise if there is a serious injury, a claim, or a dangerous dog hearing.
Your insurer may provide a defense lawyer if the claim is covered. If it is not covered, or your dog faces a dangerous dog declaration, talk to a local attorney as soon as possible.
Sources: CDC rabies guidance for animals that bite people; N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-196; Wisconsin DATCP rabies quarantine guidance; Illinois Animal Control Act, 510 ILCS 5/16; Tenn. Code Ann. § 44-8-408.
