Dog Bite Guides
Plain-language answers about what happens after a dog bite in California — the report, the quarantine, the dog's history, and your options.
- Dog Bites and Homeowner's Insurance — Who Actually PaysThe single most misunderstood fact about dog bite cases — the owner's insurance usually pays, and you're usually not suing your neighbor personally.
- What Happens After a Dog Bite Is ReportedThe step-by-step process after a bite is reported to animal control in California — the investigation, the quarantine, and the records that get created.
- The 10-Day Quarantine, ExplainedWhy California quarantines a dog for 10 days after a bite, where the dog stays, what happens at the end, and why the record matters to you.
- How to Find Out If the Dog Has Bitten BeforePrior bites are on record more often than people think. Where a dog's bite history lives, who can request it, and why it changes a case.
- The Owner Won't Give Me Their Information — What Now?The dog's owner walked off, won't answer the door, or refuses to share insurance details. Practical steps that work, in order.
- Your Rights After a Dog Bite in CaliforniaCalifornia's strict liability dog bite law in plain language — what it means, the exceptions, the deadlines, and the records that protect your rights.