What happens to a dog and his owner if it bites someone?
Always, always know where your paperwork is for your dogs Rabies Vaccine, it is so important that you do. That being said my dog bit my husband in the lip, my husband required medical treatment at the hospital, the dog bite was reported to the County, the County Health Department called me, I had to prove that my pet was up to date on his rabies vaccination (of course he was), I had to quarantine my dog for 10 days and he now has a bite record on file with the county. Dog bites are serious business and should not be taken lightly. I would strongly recommend that you monitor your dog outside and not leave him unattended. I would also strongly recommend that you contact a reputable dog trainer in your area to help you with your dogs unwanted behavior. Good Luck. I would also recommend that you try and contact the facility where your dog had his first rabies vaccine and request a copy for your records, frankly knowing that your dog had his first rabies and proving are two very different t
There are a lot of things that could happen here. First it is dependent of the state you live it. In most cases if You agree to pay the medical bills and the neighbor agrees and drops it then you should be OK. If the neighbor decides to contact their lawyer and sue you then you are in for it. Your homeowners insurance will most likely make you put the dog down and your rates will go through the roof. Because the police were involved the town can bring up a suit with you and make you pay fines and put the dog down as well. As for the shots your Vet should have on file when the last shots were and how long they are good for, otherwise you could be in for it even more. And might I recommend you walk your dog instead of just tyeing him up outside. This way you have control over where he goes and who he goes near. Also I had a similar problem, lucky for me it was my brother he bit and there were no police involved. You can read about how I resolved the biting problem in my blog. Just click
Go to the vet who gave him his shot and get a copy, they have to keep a copy for just such problems and there should be no problem. This is one of the reasons where a fence would be a good idea. If this happens again they could decide to take your dog and have him put down. You need to prove that at the time of the bite the dog had his shots because if not the kid has to have the series of shots and your dog could also be put down to check for rabies.
I’m very sorry about what happened, and I’m also sorry for being blunt-bear with me. Have you thought about getting a fence? That would keep the other dogs from attacking him, and make him feel safer. You should also take him to a training class to help get him comfortable with other dogs. You should also put up a “Beware of Dog” sign, and consider going out with him. You can get the records from the vet, and as long as this is his first case of biting, he shouldn’t be quarantined. The fence would also help the police understand that you are doing what you can so this unfortunate event never happens again.
