For Dog Owners: How to Prevent Injuries

Any dog can hurt someone. The majority of dog bites, in fact, are inflicted by dogs that belong to the victim's family or friends.

If You're Hurt by a Dog

How to preserve your right to compensation from the dog's owner.

Sample Demand Letter - Dog Bite Injury

A well-written and thorough demand letter could be the key to your dog bite injury claim.

Dog Owner Liability for Bites: An Overview

In most cases, the dogs' owners are responsible for footing the bill, because they have a legal responsibility to prevent their pets from injuring people or damaging property.

The "One-Bite" Rule for Dogs

Under this rule, a dog's owner is liable for injuries the dog causes only if the owner knew or had reason to know that the dog was likely to cause that kind of injury.

Strict Liability: Dog-Bite Statutes

More than half the states have statutes that make dog owners liable if their dogs cause injury.

A Negligent Dog Owner's Liability

Negligence is the third legal doctrine under which a dog owner may be found liable for injuries caused by a dog.

A Dog Owner's Legal Defenses

A dog owner isn't always legally responsible for injuries caused by the dog.

Who Is Liable for a Dog Bite: Owners and Keepers

Someone who has control over a dog, but doesn't own it, may be liable for injuries the dog causes.

Compensating Someone Bitten by a Dog

Someone whose dog injures another may be responsible for the person's:

Dog Owners' Liability Insurance

If a dog hurts someone or damages property, the dog's owner can be on the hook for a very large bill.

Taking a Dog Bite Case to Small Claims Court

Most dog-bite disputes never get to court; they're settled by negotiations between the injured person and the dog owner or insurance company. Here's how a typical case might unfold.

When Dogs Injure Livestock

In the eyes of the law, injuring economically valuable livestock is traditionally a more serious matter than injuring a person.

Veterinarians' Duty to Treat Animals

In most cases, a veterinarian is under no legal duty to treat an injured animal.

If a Dog Injures a Veterinarian

Whether or not you want to believe it, there are circumstances in which your dog would bite someone.

Dangerous Dog Laws

These laws impose special restrictions on owners of dogs that are officially labeled dangerous.

Criminal Penalties for Owners of Dangerous Dogs

Unless a dog mauls or kills someone—a very rare event—its owner probably won't be charged with a crime.

Legal Restrictions on Pit Bulls and Other Breeds

Whether or not certain breeds are inherently ferocious—many animal behaviorists and observers believe they are not—some breeds do account for a disproportionate number of serious injuries to people.