Your dog, under the effect of an emotion such as fear, to defend his territory, to defend himself or because he is aggressive, has bitten a person or another animal.
Reimbursement of the consequences of the bite is a legal obligation, regardless of the category of the dog. You or your insurance company are responsible for the costs.
I compare dog insurance to be covered
What insurance covers dog bites?
There are several solutions to protect yourself from the consequences of damage caused by your dog:
- The civil liability of your multi-risk home insurance allows you to compensate for damage caused by a dog or the one in your care.
- You don't have comprehensive home insurance or your M H insurance provides an exclusion of coverage for dogs. You can then take out specific personal liability insurance for yourself, your family members, your employees and your pet.
- Your dog belongs to category 1 or 2 and you must take out specific pet insurance.
>> Do dog owners need liability insurance?
Who is responsible in the event of a dog bite?
Whether you were negligent by not keeping him on a leash during his walk, or if you let him wander or because he escaped your supervision, you are considered the guardian of your pet and responsible for it.
As part of your civil liability for damage you may cause to others or their property, you have a legal obligation to repair any type of damage that your pet may have caused, such as an accident, a fall or injury due to a bite.
As such, you are therefore required to reimburse the costs of medical or veterinary care provided to the victim of the bite, whether human or animal. This obligation also applies to the animal in your care or that is entrusted to you for a while.
The cost of post-bite care can be quite high depending on the severity of the bite. If you are not insured for civil liability, you will have to pay them out of pocket. If you have taken out liability insurance, check the amount of the deductible, i.e. the amount you will have to pay after the victim has been compensated.
As soon as you become aware of the accident, you must report the claim to your insurance company within 5 days, with all the factual information useful to the insurer, such as the identity and contact details of the pet owner, the date, place, circumstances and consequences of the accident with the assessment of the costs and invoices for the necessary care. To avoid any further disputes, it is advisable to obtain the signature of the claim declaration from the pet owner.
If your pet has bitten a person, even if it is not suspected of having rabies, you have an obligation to report this incident to the town hall and you must submit it at your own expense to the supervision of the health veterinarian.
Even if the dangerousness of a dog in practice is due to its balance and training, regardless of its size or breed, the situation is particular if your dog is classified in the category of so-called "dangerous" or attack dogs. This is because they are supposed to be more aggressive or unpredictable. Pit bulls, Mastiffs, belong to category 1. American Staffordshire terriers, Rottweilers, Tosas, considered guard and defense dogs, are classified in category 2. It is true that the consequences of an attack by these dogs can be dramatic.
As the owner of a category 1 or 2 dog, you are then subject to legal obligations and specific procedures, intended to make the owners responsible for being able to keep such an animal, such as a certificate of ownership and the subscription to civil liability insurance for category 1 dogs.