What to do after a dog bite — the first day, in order

The hour after a bite is chaos: blood, a dog, a person who may be apologizing or disappearing. What you do in the next day is what a claim is made of. This is the order that holds up later — in an emergency room, with an insurer, and if you ever sit across from a lawyer.

1. Get the wound looked at, even if you “feel fine”

Dog mouths are not clean. Punctures look small and get serious. Children, hands, face, and anything that was crushed need an emergency department, not a wait-and-see. Ask the clinician to write “dog bite” in the record. That phrase is how the rest of the file finds this visit.

• Tetanus status. If you cannot remember the last shot, say so.
• Rabies. If the dog is unknown or unvaccinated, this becomes urgent the same day.
• Keep every discharge paper. Insurers pretend gaps in treatment mean the injury was minor.

2. Identify the dog and the person who had it

Name, phone, address, the dog’s name, breed if obvious, and whether they said they have homeowners or renters insurance. If they refuse, do not argue in the street. Note the house number, a car plate, a building name. A neighbor who “knows that dog” is a witness.

3. Photograph like you will never see the wound this raw again

Wounds close. Juries and adjusters never see the real thing unless you take the picture. Wide shot (where on the body), close shot, and a photo of the location. Repeat in two days and in two weeks. Clothing and shoes the dog tore are evidence; bag them.

4. Report it

Animal control or the non-emergency police line. You are not “getting a family pet put down.” You are creating a quarantine record, a vaccination check, and a dated report that says which dog did this. That report is often the only clean proof of ownership an insurer cannot wriggle off.

5. Do not give a recorded statement to their insurer yet

A polite adjuster will call quickly. Their job is to lock in a version where you provoked the dog, were trespassing, or “didn’t need stitches.” You can confirm identity and the date. You do not need to narrate. You do not need to accept the first check. Signing a release ends the claim.

6. Write the story down while you still remember it

• Where you were standing, and whether you were invited.
• What the dog was doing just before.
• What the owner said (“he’s never done that” is useful; so is “he’s done that before”).
• Witness names.

When to bring in a lawyer

Not every bite is a case. A nipped ankle that needed a bandage and a tetanus shot may be an insurance medical-pay conversation. Stitches, surgery, a child, a face, a scar, time off work, or an owner who has vanished — that is when a dog-bite lawyer earns their fee. Most of them work on contingency. You are not writing a check to find out.

After Dog Bite is not a law firm. If you want a human being who tries these cases in your state, start a case review. Matching is private. Attorneys do not see your name until they are placed on your file.