My Dog Bit Someone, Should I Put Him Down?

Even if it may appear as if it is the case, a dog will not bite someone for no reason. There will be specific circumstances which lead to the dog biting a person. It could be that they felt threatened, whether or not the threat was real. This perception of threat can be exacerbated by factors such as abuse, neglect or poor socialization. These experiences or lack thereof will manifest differently in different dogs. For example, some may retreat, others may become aggressive.

Dog communication includes vocalizations such as barking, but it is mostly through visual cues. When a dog feels threatened, they will give off gestures or carry out behaviors known as calming signals in dogs. These can include placing their ears back on their hear or putting their tail between their legs. Many of us do not recognize these signals and may even think the dog is being friendly. In actuality, they are telling you to stay away.

The bite of a dog will vary in severity. Some dogs may nip you with their mouth as a warning, something which will not break the skin. Others can cause serious injury and wounds. This is why the Dunbar dog bite scale was created to differentiate biting behaviors. The higher the scale, the worse the bite.

Behavioral euthanasia is the term for putting down a dog due to their behavior, as opposed to doing so due to health issues. It does occur that some dogs may pose such a significant danger that euthanasia is considered the right course of action. The reason for this is public health. Fortunately, it is relatively rare and the law provides some protections against it.

Whether a dog needs to be euthanized will depend on certain factors, especially the severity of the bite. Location is also an important factor since different countries and jurisdictions have their own laws. State laws and local ordinances will determine the legal action required, although this will also depend on each individual case.

Generally speaking, there is no universal legal requirement for a dog to be put down if they bite someone. In cases where the authorities are involved, the dog will likely be isolated until the incident can be investigated. During this time, the following will be considered:

• Bite level: where no severe harm has been done, it is not likely that police or animal authorities will be involved. If injury has been sustained, then the police will likely quarantine the animal. Learn more with our article on the different types of dog bites.
• Vaccination: whether a dog has been vaccinated can influence protocol as vaccinated dogs generally face less penalties than unvaccinated dogs. This is due to the potential spread of deadly diseases such as rabies.
• Circumstance: this is very important with every case of a dog biting someone. One of the biggest factors is provocation. If a dog was being mistreated and bit someone out of self-defense, this will be different to an unprovoked attack.
• Repeat offense: a dog is more likely to suffer consequences if they have repeatedly bitten or been aggressive with others. Dogs which have no prior history of aggression will also be evaluated, but this may work in their favor.
• Owner responsibility: the actions of some dog owners can influence the consequences of a dog bite. If the owner has trained a dog to bite or even ordered the dog to do so, this will be a significant influence on any legal repercussions.
• Breed: some states have breed-specific legislation. Certain breeds are legally considered dangerous dogs and their ownership is restricted or even banned in some cases. A so-called ‘dangerous dog’ is more likely to be euthanized.

As we can see, the dog owner is a key factor in what happens if a dog bites someone. Ultimately, the animal's actions are their responsibility. If the owner does not have insurance, this can lead to serious repercussions, especially if the person who was bitten wants to press charges or sue. Again, this will depend on the severity of the bite.

Criminal charges may be brought upon the dog's owner, depending on the severity of the case. As we have already stated, different jurisdictions have different laws. Some may have strict liability over the dog's actions, regardless of their history. Others may have a ‘one-bite rule’ where liability depends on whether the dog has shown prior aggression. This can also influence whether behavioral euthanasia is the outcome.

Dogs should learn not to bite after they have been properly socialized, although it is important to differentiate between defense and an attack. Our article exploring bite inhibition in dogs will help to do so.

If our dog bites a person, the first thing to do is to control the animal and provide medical assistance to the injured person. We can take them to the nearest medical centre or call an ambulance if the injuries are more serious. It is important there is a report documenting the injuries suffered, in view of possible compensation or fines. In addition, the medical services will inform the authorities to initiate the corresponding protocol, something which may vary depending on each local authority.

When a dog bites another person, the protocol will depend on the severity of the bite. Generally speaking, it will be as follows:

• Observation: if the bite is minor, but the vaccination status of the dog is unknown, they may be kept in quarantine to observe for rabies. In serious injury the dog will also be observed for rabies, but they may also be impounded due to the potential risk to public health.
• Investigation: animal control may be required to investigate what happened. This will include assessing the bite itself, but also the circumstances around the incident. For example, they may give a warning or even a fine if leash laws were not respected or if there is a problem with the dog's care. The police will be called in cases of serious injury and a criminal investigation may even need to be carried out if there is negligence on part of the owner.
• Evaluation: after the incident has been investigated, the dog will need to be evaluated for behavioral issues. This may require and ethologist or similar canine professional. They can help determine how the dog's temperament influenced the attack. Stricter penalties may be incurred if the dog is evaluated as being aggressive and can attack in an unprovoked manner.
• Outcome: in minor cases, warnings or small fines may be carried out. If the person who was bitten is not satisfied, they may file a civil suit for damages from the owner. In cases of serious injury or even death, criminal charges may be filed on behalf of the authorities. Fines or even jail time for the owner can be a result, so too can behavioral euthanasia of the dog.

The question of this article is whether we should put down a dog if they bite someone. Generally speaking, most legal systems in the USA will prioritize rehabilitation rather than behavioral euthanasia of the animal. This will depend on the above factors, as well as the available resources. Unfortunately, some of the assessment or rehabilitation may be prohibitively expensive.

Rehabilitation costs are generally the responsibility of the owner. Single sessions with an ethologist can be over $100, so multiple sessions can lead to fees amounting to thousands of dollars. If the owner does not have suitable liability insurance or otherwise cannot pay, the dog may be removed. Animal control agencies may try to place the dog somewhere they can be rehabilitated, but this is not always possible. In these cases, it is possible the dog will be euthanized as a last resort.

Learn what happens if a dog bites another dog with our related article.

Up to this point, we have discussed what happens if a dog bites another person. In these cases, the other person will likely report the incident and may even bring in the authorities if the bite is serious. However, this can differ if our own dog bites us.

In these cases, we may be tempted not to report the incident or even ignore it. We love our dogs and we don't want anything bad to happen to them, so we may want to avoid involving the authorities. However, the safety of both the dog and everyone else means we should never ignore a bite, especially if it is serious.

We should consider the following:

• Trigger: we need to consider whether the bite was provoked. We need to look at the circumstances and determine whether the bite was defensive or a sign of aggression.
• Evaluation: a dog which has bitten after showing previous signs of aggression will be different to a dog who has never shown any aggression and has bitten all of a sudden. It is possible this aggression is due to physical health, emotional or even environmental changes. In these cases, we need to evaluate the reason behind the bite.
• People in the home: if we have vulnerable people in the home such as children or those with particular needs, the dog may pose a greater risk. Keeping the dog in the home after they bite may be dangerous.

Where possible, we should treat our dog biting us similar to a dog biting someone else. We need to be objective and assess the risk they pose. If we are able to afford professional assessment, we should do so. An ethologist may be able to help rehabilitate the dog and you can return to a peaceful life together.

In other cases, it may be that we are simply unable to provide the care and rehabilitation the dog requires. If so, we may be able to place the dog with an animal welfare organization who can meet their needs. This will follow a similar protocol.

Since rehabilitation is prioritized, behavioral euthanasia should not be carried out unless essential. This could be the case if the attack was particularly savage or if it lead to a death. In these cases, the authorities will have to be called in and a similar assessment as described above will be made.

Learn about putting dogs down for healthy reasons with our article on when to euthanize a dog with kidney failure.

If you want to read similar articles to My Dog Bit Someone, Should I Put Him Down?, we recommend you visit our What you need to know category.