Anyone who knows that an animal has bitten or scratched another person should report the bite immediately to Animal Control. In California, it is mandatory to report any dog bites, as this triggers the quarantine process. The purpose of this quarantine is to ensure that the reported dog does not have rabies and to stop the spread of the disease. All bites are serious enough to report, even if the dog has bitten another dog.
It is important to inform the pet owner of the incident, as it could help prevent similar attacks in the future. In addition, it is necessary to prove that the owner knew or should have known about the aggressive behavior of a dog in order to obtain compensation. Any domestic animal other than a dog, cat or caged rodent or rabbit or pet that bites any person shall be confined and quarantined in a county kennel or, at the request and at the owner's expense, in a veterinary hospital for a period of not less than fourteen days. Livestock will be confined and quarantined for the fourteen day period in the manner regulated by the Arizona Department of Agriculture.
Caged rodents or rabbits or pets shall not be quarantined or subjected to laboratory testing. With the exception of a wild rodent or rabbit, any wild animal that bites a person or directly exposes anyone to their saliva may be killed and sent to the county enforcement officer or the agent's aides for transport to an appropriate diagnostic laboratory. A justice of the peace or a city magistrate may issue an order to destroy a vicious animal after notifying the owner, if any, and the person bitten, and a hearing. The owner of a vicious animal shall be liable for the fees incurred by the enforcement officer for the seizure, shelter and disposal of the vicious animal.
This section does not apply to a dog that is used by any federal, state, county, city or town law enforcement agency and that bites any person if the bite occurs while the dog is under proper supervision by law enforcement and under the care of a licensed veterinarian, except that the law enforcement agency shall notify the county enforcement agent if the dog exhibits any abnormal behavior and make the dog available for examination at a reasonable time. Carrying out these measures helps protect people affected by dog bite, as well as the entire public. Doctors are required to report dog bites in California for which they provide evaluation or treatment. A dog bite lawyer is specialized in representing victims in legal proceedings of a dog bite case.
Victims represented by this type of lawyer could have been injured by a dog biting them, knocking them down, or suffered injuries from a dog jumping on them. The general role of this lawyer is to help victims before and during legal proceedings of a dog bite case. These are sporadic cases that can only be allowed if the dog has been diagnosed with a curable disease which has caused this aggressive behavior. After a dog bite accident, you may face unexpected medical bills, loss of work, and even permanent changes in your life.
