It happens. Even the most loving dog can bite someone, and so often we hear “He’s never bitten anyone before.” While this may be true, if your dog bites someone, your dog could be in danger if the police and local animal control gets involved, so you need to act calmly and logically about the situation to ensure the best outcome for your poor dog.
Every state is different regarding dog attacks. Some states will automatically quarantine your dog for a number of days in the animal shelter to monitor the dog for aggression or illness (such as rabies) before allowing you to take your dog home. You will have to pay a hefty fine to get your dog back, and may be required to follow a certain restraining adherence to avoid repeat offenses.
If your dog bites someone and it is severe enough that the victim will have to go to the hospital, even if it’s a family member who wishes no ill-will against your pet, odds are the case will be reported to the police. Following measures, such as quarantines, fines for the owner(s), and pet restraint restrictions may be placed.
Some states only allow one bite of a dog, regardless of breed, and the dog has to be put down. It is unfortunate, but a very real likelihood. Other dogs get placed on an aggression list, and one more strike and you may lose your dog for good. A dog marked as aggressive (which is common if the dog is released after their first offense) will likely have to be always on a restraint when outdoors, muzzled, or required a certain type or height of fencing in order to be allowed back in the home. If these rules are not adhered to, and the dog is discovered to be “at large”, even if your dog causes no harm to anyone after breaking loose, they may be removed from the home and put to sleep or quarantined and be unable to return to the home.
If your dog bites someone, you need to quickly assess the situation to the best interest of your dog. If your dog was provoked (attacked by another person, attacked by a dog and bit in self defense), it is best to gather witnesses to the occurrence to make statements on the part of your dog. However, if your dog just ran out in the street and bit someone for no reason, the best you can do is quickly remove your dog and try to calm the victim and see how severe the bite actually was. A person will do one of two things when they have been bitten- freak out and demand medical attention and/or the police (who will likely get involved anyhow), or brush off the incidence and go about their business. The latter is likely only if the attack was extremely minor and the person feels they may have frightened or provoked the dog.
Whatever happens when your dog bites someone, you need to prove a case that your dog is genuinely friendly and this is just a freak occurrence. If your dog bites someone, call your vet and get records of shots and care to attest to your dog’s overall health in case a few days down the line you get a knock on your door from the police. Look up your state or county’s laws regarding animal aggression and talk to your vet about the dog bite situation so they can assist you in legalities regarding dog bites.
You want to be prepared for severe repercussions for even a minor bite. If you have a larger dog, or a dog that is deemed more likely to aggressive by breed like a pit bull, Rottweiler, or doberman, you may have a larger issue on hand than you may think. It’s best to have your vet records and statements from friends and family (and even neighbors or landlords) attesting to your dog’s personality to best prove a positive case for your dog.
Unfortunately, one bite can mean disaster for your dog and your family. If your dog is reported, he can be labeled an aggressive dog for the duration of his life, and you will forever be having to follow restraining laws to avoid losing your dog. Even worse, you could lose your dog for good after just one offense no matter how well you try to prove that your dog is otherwise friendly. You have to be prepared to face and/or fight the worst-case scenario.
It is very true that your dog may have never bitten anyone before, but unfortunately it only takes one bite to create a monster in the eyes of the law. Your best bet is to try to keep the police and local animal control out of the situation, but if that is not a possibility, you better be prepared to face and fight the worst for the life of your dog.
