What Should You Do After a Dog Bite in Ontario?

A serious dog bite is often a very traumatic event. The first steps are practical: get medical care, identify the dog and owner, report the incident, take photographs, and keep records of what happened.

That may sound simple, but it is often not how these incidents unfold. People are shaken. The dog owner may be apologetic at first and defensive later. A child might not be able to explain the attack clearly. A wound may look manageable in the first few hours, then become infected or leave a scar. Sometimes the lasting harm is not the puncture wound itself, but the scarring, sensitivity, anxiety, sleep disruption, or fear that follows.

Ontario dog bite claims are governed primarily by the Dog Owners’ Liability Act. The Act is important because it places responsibility on dog owners for injuries caused by their dogs. If the injury is serious, our Ontario dog attack lawyers can explain how the law applies, what evidence should be preserved, and whether insurance may respond.

The rest of this article explains the steps that matter most after a dog bite or dog attack in Ontario.

Get Medical Care and follow up treatment early

Dog bites can cause puncture wounds, tearing, infection, nerve irritation, tendon or muscle injury, and scarring. Some people are also injured while trying to get away from the dog, especially if they fall, twist, or strike the ground during the attack.

The medical record matters. It helps show when the injury happened, what the wound looked like, what treatment was needed, and whether there were complications. If the injury later leaves a scar, affects movement, causes numbness, or leads to psychological symptoms, those early records can become important.

Keep copies of emergency room records, clinic notes, prescriptions, wound care instructions, referral letters, photographs, and follow-up appointments. If the wound changes over time, keep taking photographs. Dog bite injuries often look different one day, one week, and one month after the attack.

Find Out Who Owned or Controlled the Dog

If you are able, get the dog owner’s name, address, phone number, email, and insurance information. If someone else was walking or watching the dog, get that person’s information too.

This matters because Ontario’s dog bite law can apply to people who own, possess, or harbour the dog. In plain language, responsibility may not always be limited to the person who bought the dog or whose name is on a licence.

For example, there may be a real issue about control if the dog was being walked by someone else, kept at another home, watched by a sitter, or allowed to run loose from a property. These details are much easier to sort out early than months later.

It is also helpful to write down the dog’s breed, size, colour, markings, whether it was leashed, and whether there had been prior incidents or warnings. If anyone saw the attack, ask for their name and phone number.

Report the Bite

A serious dog bite should usually be reported. Depending on where the attack happened, that may involve animal services, municipal bylaw enforcement, public health, police, property management, a school, a daycare, a business, or another organization responsible for the location.

Reporting helps confirm the dog’s identity, create a record of the incident, document public health issues, and preserve information about prior complaints or safety concerns.

Do not assume the dog owner will make the report. If you make it yourself, keep the report number, email confirmation, officer name, or file number.

Take Photographs Before the Injury Changes

Photographs are often some of the most useful evidence in a dog bite case.

Take photos of the wound, bruising, swelling, torn clothing, blood, stitches, bandages, infection, and scarring. Take photos on more than one day. A dog bite wound can change dramatically as it heals.

Also photograph the place where the attack happened. Depending on the facts, that may include an open gate, broken fence, leash, collar, muzzle, warning sign, hallway, yard, sidewalk, park area, apartment entrance, or business premises.

If there is video footage, act quickly. Doorbell cameras, security systems, condo cameras, and business surveillance footage may be deleted within days or weeks.

Write Down What Happened

A short written note can be very helpful later. It does not need to be polished.

Write down the date, time, location, what the dog was doing before the attack, whether the dog was restrained, what the owner said afterward, who witnessed it, and what happened immediately after the bite.

These details can matter if the owner later says the dog was provoked, the bite was minor, someone else was responsible, or the incident happened differently than you remember.

Save text messages, emails, social media messages, voicemails, photos, vet information, medical records, pharmacy receipts, municipal reports, and communications with an insurance company.

How Ontario Dog Bite Liability Works

Ontario dog bite law is not the same as an ordinary negligence claim.

In many injury cases, the injured person has to prove that someone acted carelessly. Dog bite cases are different. Under Ontario’s Dog Owners’ Liability Act, a dog owner can be liable for damages caused by a bite or attack by the dog.

This is why the “first bite” excuse is often misunderstood. A dog owner says the dog never bit anyone before does not defeat a claim. The issue is not whether the owner knew the dog was dangerous.

That does not mean every dog bite claim succeeds automatically. You still need to show that the dog was involved, who owned or controlled it, what injuries were caused, and how those injuries affected the person’s life.

For a fuller explanation of how these claims are assessed, see our page on dog bite injury claims in Ontario.

Why Serious Dog Bite Claims Can Become Complicated

The owner may deny the attack happened the way you describe. They might try to blame you. They may say the dog was provoked. They could refuse to provide insurance information. They may argue they were not responsible because someone else had the dog at the time.

The injury can also become more complicated than it first appeared. A puncture wound may become infected. A scar may become raised, painful, discoloured, or permanent. A person may become anxious around dogs or avoid parks, sidewalks, friends’ homes, or outdoor spaces. Children may have a particularly difficult time after a frightening attack.

Can the Dog Owner Blame the Injured Person?

Sometimes, yes. A dog owner may argue that the injured person caused or contributed to the injury.

That argument may come up if the owner says the dog was provoked, the injured person ignored warnings, entered a restricted area, interfered with the dog, or acted carelessly. This can potentially place some contributory negligence on victim, but it is very rare that they are entirely responsible at law.

What if the Dog Had Never Bitten Anyone Before?

A first bite can still result in liability.

This comes up often. People are told there is no case because the dog was friendly, had no history of aggression, or had never bitten anyone before. That is not the end of the analysis under Ontario law.

A prior history of aggression can still matter. It may help prove that stronger precautions should have been taken. It's also relevant to municipal enforcement or safety orders.

Does Insurance Cover Dog Bite Claims?

Many dog bite claims are handled through insurance. Depending on the facts, a homeowner’s policy, tenant policy, or other liability policy may respond. This is especially important because the injured person often knows the dog owner. The owner may be a neighbour, friend, relative, landlord, tenant, or someone else in the community.

That can make the situation uncomfortable. But in many serious injury cases, the most important question is actually whether insurance is available for the harm caused by the attack.

Coverage depends on policy and the facts. There are exclusions or coverage disputes. Insurance information should be identified early, before the file becomes harder to investigate.

Where the Dog Bite Happened Can Matter

The location of the attack can affect insurance and parties involved.

A bite at someone’s home may raise homeowner’s or tenant insurance issues. A bite at a rental property may raise questions about who owned or controlled the dog, who controlled the premises, and whether anyone knew there was a danger.

A bite at a business, school, daycare, park, condominium, apartment building, or public sidewalk could involve other records, such as video footage, incident reports, complaints, security logs, property management records, or leash-rule information.

The dog owner is usually the starting point. In some cases, the property and the people responsible for the location also need to be considered.

What Compensation Can Be Claimed After a Serious Dog Bite?

The value of a dog bite claim depends on the injury and its effect on the person’s life.

Compensation includes pain and suffering, scarring, disfigurement, infection complications, nerve symptoms, reduced hand or limb function, psychological trauma, treatment expenses, future care costs, lost income, loss of earning capacity, travel expenses, and other out-of-pocket losses.

The more serious cases often involve children, facial injuries, hand injuries, nerve symptoms, permanent marks, infection, psychological trauma, missed work, or injuries that interfere with normal daily life.

A small wound that heals quickly may not justify a significant legal claim. But a dog attack that leaves lasting physical or emotional consequences should be looked at more carefully.

Scarring After a Dog Bite

Scarring is one of the biggest issues in serious dog bite cases. A scar could beay be raised, widened, discoloured, painful, sensitive, or difficult to hide. Some scars fade. Others remain visible and are permanent. Facial scars, hand scars, arm scars, and leg scars may affect confidence, clothing choices, work, school, sports, and social comfort.

Photographs are important. Take them at different stages of healing, not just the day of the attack. If the scar may be permanent, medical opinions about future treatment, scar revision, and long-term appearance may become relevant.

Psychological Trauma After a Dog Attack

Dog attacks can also leave psychological injuries. Some people develop anxiety, panic, nightmares, sleep problems, fear of dogs, or avoidance of sidewalks, parks, trails, and neighbourhood routes. Children may become fearful, clingy, withdrawn, or reluctant to play outside.

These symptoms should not be dismissed as simply being nervous. For some people, the psychological impact becomes one of the most disruptive parts of the injury.

If symptoms continue, they should be discussed with a family doctor, psychologist, psychotherapist, social worker, or another qualified treatment provider. Psychological injuries are easier to understand and prove when they are documented and treated.

How Long Do You Have to Start a Dog Bite Claim in Ontario?

In most Ontario personal injury cases, there is a two-year limitation period to start a lawsuit. However, limitation periods can depend on the facts, the age of the injured person, discoverability issues, and the parties involved.

Do not wait until the deadline is close. Evidence can disappear quickly. Video could be erased, witnesses may become difficult to reach, the dog owner may move, and insurance information may become harder to obtain.

If the injured person is a child, different timing issues may apply. Even then, parents or guardians should get advice early because the evidence and insurance issues still need to be addressed while the facts are fresh.

When Should a Dog Bite Be Reviewed by a Lawyer?

Not every dog bite requires a lawyer. A superficial wound that heals quickly may not justify a legal claim.

A dog bite should usually be reviewed if the injury required medical treatment, left a scar, involved a child, caused psychological symptoms, led to miss work or had other significant factors.

Legal advice is also important if the dog owner blames you, refuses to provide insurance information, denies responsibility, or says there is no case because the dog had never bitten anyone before.

Final Thoughts

Practical steps matter: get medical care, identify the dog and owner, report the incident, preserve evidence, photograph the injuries, and keep records of treatment and financial loss.

At Foster Injury Law, our Ontario dog bite lawyers focus on serious injury claims. In dog bite or attack cases, that usually means injuries involving scarring, infection, nerve symptoms, psychological trauma, children, facial injuries, hand injuries, missed work, or long-term consequences that go beyond the initial wound.