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What Will Happen If Bit by a Dog?

Getting bit by a dog is a serious and traumatic experience, made even more traumatic when you do not know what to expect after the bite. Although the events seem frightening, it is important that you try to remain as calm as possible so that you get the help you need.

  1. Medical Attention

    • If a dog bites you and breaks the skin, it's time to take yourself to urgent care. Medical attention after a dog bite is imperative because you do not know what types of diseases or bacteria the dog could be carrying and possibly transferred to you, including rabies. At the urgent care center a practitioner will ask you about the events and visually examine the dog bite. The practitioner will determine an appropriate medical course of action for you. A deep wound may require stitches, while superficial cuts may only require dressing of the wound with an antibiotic to take in case of infection. In severe cases, reconstructive surgery may be the necessary medical course of action.

    Information Collection

    • Questions will be asked by medical staff about the dog that bit you, and whether or not you know the dog personally, if it was a neighbor's dog, a dog off its leash or if you happen to know whether the dog was up to date with its rabies vaccine. If you know the dog owners' names and phone numbers, call and ask them when the last rabies vaccine was, as well as which veterinarian they take the dog to so that you can confirm the vaccination. If the dog owner confirms that the dog that bit you was not up to date on its rabies vaccination, you may have to go through the treatment for rabies as a precaution. If the owner confirms that the dog was up to date on the rabies vaccination, you most likely do not have to submit to the treatment.

    Filing a Report

    • If you were bitten by a dog, file a report with your county's animal control department. When you report a dog bite incident the county workers will go visit the dog for an assessment. The assessment process looks at the dog's security, such as whether there are large holes in the yard fence for the dog to escape through, or whether the dog appears to be severely aggressive. The dog owner may be fined or warned to take action to secure the property better if it appears as though it is the owner's negligence that led to the dog bite. If the dog that bit you was a stray, you will need to report where you last saw the dog, what type of dog it was and where it was headed. They will look for the dog on the street and detain it to watch for signs of rabies over the next 24 or 48 hours.

    Legal Rights

    • Depending on your county's laws regarding animal control, you may have legal rights that protect you in situations such as dog bites. Examples include demanding reimbursement for damages, medical bills, loss of income for having to miss work, any cosmetic surgery that is required or for the pain that the attack caused you. Contact your local animal control center for names of attorneys that specialize in this area of law, or a county-appointed attorney could work on your case.

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