Rabies, Vaccinations, and Dog Bites: Will My Dog Be Destroyed?
If your dog bites someone but has not been vaccinated for rabies, you might have to put the animal in supervised quarantine. Your dog is not likely to be put down (destroyed) simply because he or she bit someone.
Generally, you will have to pay a veterinarian to quarantine and supervise your dog for ten days after he or she bites someone. If the animal does not display any signs of unusual behavior after ten days, then the dog does not have rabies.
However, if the animal is at risk for having rabies (frequent contact with wild animals or other dogs) then the bite victim might have to go through preventive care while your dog is in quarantine. And as the owner of the dog, you’re probably going to have to pay for the victim’s medical treatments while the dog is under supervision.
In addition, the dog’s overall behavior will come under scrutiny (as will yours) to determine the general safety of the dog. Regardless of rabies, a dog that is prone to biting could be sentenced to death by a judge. A first time offence will probably not mean a death sentence for the dog, but once the dog is known for violence, as the owner you should take some preventative steps to help keep your dog alive.
Because a dog bite can mean expensive medical bills, quarantine, fear of rabies, and future scrutiny, you should contact a personal injury lawyer to give you direction as to how to proceed. In addition, your lawyer can go through your home or renters insurance policy to see if some or all of these associated costs will be covered with the policy’s liability clause.
