California Dog Bite Law Quarantine

Dogs are required to be quarantined for a minimum of 10 days after biting a person in california.

California dog bite law quarantine. California s laws on dangerous dogs. The california health and safety code makes it a misdemeanor with a significant fine to fail to quarantine or produce an animal that might have rabies. California dog bite law imposes strict liability on owners. Dog quarantine happens at home or offsite.

Other times it will be at a vet s office or local animal shelter where the staff is trained to know what to look for in rabid animals. When the animal does not appear to be rabid it can be held in the dog owner s home. California law regarding dog bites spells out the rights and responsibilities of the dog owner and the victim. The dog bite victim and the owner have to report the incident to their local health official.

Most dog bites are inflicted by a known owned dog at or near the dog s home harris 1974. This means the owner of a dog who bites someone is liable in a civil lawsuit for the victim s injuries even if the animal has never bitten before and the owner had no reason to believe the animal was dangerous. Sometimes the quarantine will be with the owner. Dog quarantine after a bite is required in the state to ensure there is no transmission of rabies from the animal to the injured human.

Newborns and infants are the most common victims of bite attacks from pet ferrets applegate 1998. This contrasts with the one bite rule in effect in other states by which the owner is only held liable if the. This aims to assess the health risks of the bite and care needs for the victim as well as to provide info to help the authorities reduce the possibility. Dog bite victims are more likely to be male and younger 12 years old than cat bite victims patrick 1998.

The dog that bit the person must be quarantined for 10 days to observe whether it is rabid or not. Anyone can file a civil case. The california health and safety code makes it a misdemeanor with a significant fine to fail to quarantine or produce an animal that might have rabies. Bites must be reported to local health officials triggering the quarantine process this mandatory quarantine process is to make sure the dog does not have rabies.

According to california dog bite quarantine law once a dog bite case was reported then the dog needs to be quarantined. Get the dog bite law app. What happens after either of the parties files a. Updated september 27 2020.

While california s strict liability dog bite statute applies regardless of the animal s history another law makes owners responsible for taking reasonable steps needed to remove any danger of future attacks when their dogs have bitten someone in the past. This initial report on the bite triggers the responsible agency to look into the matter and also proves liability as well as damages. Lawyers for dog bites discuss california s quarantine law below. This law does not apply when the victim of the dog bite was another dog.