What Steps do I Take After a Dog Attack?

What happens if my dog is attacked by another dog? It is an offence if your dog attacks an assistance dog but attacks on other animals including pet dogs are not. However, a court could prosecute if a person believes they would have been injured if they tried to stop a dog attacking their animal.

Once an animal has demonstrated vicious behavior, such as biting or otherwise displaying a “vicious propensity”, the owner can be held liable. Some states have moved away from the one-bite rule and hold owners responsible for any injury, regardless of whether the animal has previously bitten someone.

1. Identify the dog’s owner.
2. Contact animal control.
3. Get treatment for your injuries.
4. Gather evidence of the attack.
5. Contact an experienced dog bite attorney.

California is a “Strict Liability” Dog Bite State The owner is responsible for all damages resulting from a dog bite, even if the dog has never bitten anyone before.

Under NSW law dog owners have legal responsibility for their dog’s actions. The owner can be liable for any injury or damage caused by their dog. A victim may be able to claim for damages, compensation, financial loss and medical expenses from the owner.

This 2-bite limit is different from the “one bite rule.” The one-bite rule can make a dog owner strictly liable for a dog bite if they should have known about their pet’s dangerous tendencies. Showing the owner knew or should have known about the threat posed by their dog can involve a prior bite.

If your dog injures someone, it may be seized by the police and you could face fines, compensation costs and even be sentenced to prison or banned from having dogs in the future. Unless you can persuade the court that your dog is not a danger to the public, the dog may be put down.

Your Rights as a Dog Owner If the attacking dog is listed as “dangerous” and your dog has to be put down, the owner may be held responsible for the original amount you paid for your dog. If other owner violated your state’s leash laws, he or she may be held responsible for any veterinary costs.

Many dogs shift toward aggression when they feel threatened in some way. For some dogs, even the sight of another canine is enough to come across as a threat. Regardless of the source of conflict, the aggression itself is an attempt by the attacking dog to claim or re-claim dominance. This rarely happens suddenly.

Regardless of why and how the fight erupted, one thing is for sure: a traumatic experience may cause a dog to be in shock after being attacked, and this may potentially undo years of behavioral training and confidence building. If your dog was attacked by another dog, see your vet.

After an attack, particularly if your dog was not the instigator and does not naturally have an aggressive personality, it’s likely that your pooch will experience symptoms of fear and anxiety. Following a fight with another dog, your dog may be more clingy than usual, and need an extra bit of comfort and attention.

What to do if your dog is attacked by another dog

1. Try not to panic. If you panic, you make your dog (and the biting dog) worse.
2. Don’t try to separate them yourself.
3. Try to distract the other dog from a distance.
4. Call your dog away.
5. Report the incident.
6. Collect details.
7. Take your dog to the vet.

Here are some symptoms we can look for that MIGHT indicate trauma in a dog: Anorexia, won’t eliminate, pacing, inability to sleep, hyper-vigilance, extreme fear, being easily startled, outbursts of aggression or rage that have no predictable pattern, and refusal to play.

1. Exercise Your Dog. If your dog has separation anxiety, the obvious way to ease their mind is to never leave them alone. That is not a reality for most pet owners, so using exercise as both a bonding time and to tire out your pet is often an easy fix!