Georgia Legal Guide: Dog Bite Animal Control Reports Explained and How They Affect Your Injury Claim 

By Bruce Millar July 14, 2026

Key Points:

• An animal control report is an official record of your dog bite. It documents what happened, who owns the dog, and often whether that dog has bitten before, which can be powerful evidence in your injury claim. 
• Reporting quickly protects you in two ways. It triggers a rabies check on the dog (usually a 10-day quarantine) and creates a neutral, dated record before memories fade or the dog disappears. 
• A report can help prove the dog owner is liable. Under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 51-2-7), prior complaints, citations, or a “dangerous dog” classification can show the owner knew the dog was a risk. 
• You can still have a strong claim even if you never reported it. Medical records, photos, and witnesses can fill the gap, but the sooner you act, the better. Georgia generally gives you two years to file a lawsuit (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33). 

They say there are no bad dogs. That’s hard to keep in mind when you’re a delivery driver who just got savaged by someone’s Cane Corso. Or a mother whose child was bowled over by a couple of dogs who were “Just playing.” When you or a loved one has been bitten by a dog, your first thought is for the pain, getting to a doctor, and wondering if the dog has rabies. You’re not thinking about paperwork and police reports. 

However, you need to take time to do so, because you need to call animal control as soon as possible and make a report for your dog bite injury. An animal control report is a simple, often one-page report that describes your injury, the dog who bit you, and the dog’s owner. Having one can be essential to your insurance claim.

What Is a Dog Bite Animal Control Report? 

An animal control report is an official government record of a reported dog bite or attack. When you (or a hospital or witness) call your local animal control agency, an officer creates a file documenting the incident. Think of it as the dog-bite equivalent of a police accident report after a car crash. 

The report is a neutral account of what happened, created by a trained observer with no stake in your case. That neutrality makes it valuable in your case. 

Why are dog bite reports created? 

Reports exist for two reasons: 

• Public health and safety. The main purpose is protecting the community. Reports confirm whether a dog has rabies and identify dogs that may become a danger to people. 
• Tracking dangerous dogs. Reports let animal control monitor specific dogs and create a history on the dog and their owners. A pattern can lead to a formal “dangerous” or “vicious” dog classification. 

Who prepares a dog bite animal control report? 

A trained animal control officer typically prepares the report. Usually, a complaint comes in by phone, a dispatcher records it, and the call is forwarded to an officer who investigates by speaking with the reporter. The officer visits the dog’s owner and inspects the animal and the property.  

The officer will check the dog’s vaccination status and confirm if the dog is current on its rabies vaccine. If not, the officer can order a quarantine period, usually ten days. Depending on how cooperative the owner is, the quarantine can be home confinement or at a shelter or animal control. 

If the dog has prior citations or meets the definition of a “dangerous dog” the owner may face other citations for allowing the dog to run loose. 

Does animal control investigate every dog bite? 

Not always. Resources vary depending on the county, and officers have discretion as to what cases they will investigate and how thoroughly. A serious bite to a child or one involving a known dangerous dog will get a complete investigation, whereas a minor nip by a vaccinated dog or a case where the victim aggravated or taunted the dog may not. 

The practical lesson: don’t assume the system will fully protect your interests automatically. A clear, prompt report, and your own documentation is your best protection. 

Requesting a dog bite report 

After the incident, you can receive a copy of the report. These reports are public records, so you can obtain a copy under Georgia’s Open Records Act. You will need to contact the agency that handled your request. This may be animal control or the Sheriff’s Office in your county. 

You will need the date, location, and case number if you got one from the dispatcher or investigating officer. Some agencies may have a document or copying fee. After you file an insurance claim, your attorney may be able to obtain additional records, such as other reports about the same dog. 

Information you need from the dog bite report 

The dog bite report contains important information that can help support your personal injury claim. Georgia law presumes that all dogs, regardless of breed, are harmless as a species. To prove a case against any dog, you must show that this dog had a “propensity to bite” and that the owner knew it. 

The dog bite report will contain important information that can help your attorney prove these facts. The report should name the owners or “keepers” of the dog, and anyone who cares for or controls the dog and thus are liable as “keepers.” 

The report also details any previous incidents involving this dog. Under Georgia’s Dangerous Dog Control Law (O.C.G.A. § 4-8-20 et seq.), a dog can be officially classified as potentially dangerous, dangerous, or vicious. Once an owner gets a notice, there are other rules involving the dog such as how the dog must be kept or restrained on the property, and the owner cannot claim they “didn’t know” the animal had a tendency to bite. Violating these requirements or other leash laws can prove negligence or “careless management” on the part of the owner. 

The report can also help with: 

• Naming and locating witnesses, neighbors, and others who may know of the dog’s history 
• Injury details and objective severity at the time of the incident 
• Factors surrounding the incident, like weather, other dogs, presence of other individuals 

A report also gives your attorney places to look for other information you may not have thought about. Neighbors could provide details about additional dog attacks that weren’t reported, for example.  

Reporting a Dog Bite to Animal Control 

You should report any dog bite to animal control. Even if the owner is a friend, neighbor, or family member, reporting is essential. Dogs usually do not bite unless they are injured or ill, or nursing females protecting their pups. Dog bites should always be taken seriously. 

A report helps ensure that the dog is checked for rabies and other illnesses. This is the most important thing and can literally save your life. It creates an independent record of the attack. It may reveal if the dog has bitten someone before and creates a record if the dog bites again. 

Finally, if you need to file an insurance claim for your injuries, an animal control report is essential evidence for your claim. The official record of the attack is difficult for an insurance company to deny or downplay. 

How do you report a dog bite in Georgia? 

If you’ve been bitten or need to report someone else’s bite, call animal control. Do not call law enforcement or 911 unless the situation is critical and you need emergency responders. Give the dispatcher or officer details of the case, including the location of the attack, the nature of the injury, and the owner’s name and address. A description of the dog is helpful if you have it. 

Get a case or incident number from the dispatcher so you can get a copy later. If possible, get photos of the dog, and take pictures of your injuries before you get them treated. Get any witness contact information at the scene. 

You should get medical treatment as soon as possible, especially if the bite is on your hands, feet, or face. If the victim is a child, you should always see a doctor immediately. Doctors and hospitals are required to report all dog bites to the county health department or to animal control as part of rabies control. They will not necessarily give you a report that states this, so do your own follow-up with the doctors. 

Contact the police if: 

• The dog is still loose or seems to be a stray 
• The owner is uncooperative 
• There is more than one dog or there has been more than one attack 

In most cases you will not need a police report. Police will contact animal control for the majority of dog bite cases. 

What if the dog owner asks you not to report the bite? 

All owners will swear their dogs have never bitten anyone before. Often that is true. Sometimes it isn’t. As noted, dogs usually do not bite unless they are injured or ill, so if a dog bites you, it should be taken seriously by everyone, including the owner. If the owner doesn’t want you to report it, there’s probably a reason.  

You should always report all dog bites, because you cannot know what is wrong with the dog, and the owner isn’t being forthcoming with you. A report can uncover previous incidents or determine if the dog is ill. 

More importantly, the report is a critical part of your insurance claim. Without a report, dog bites can become a case of “you said, they said.” A report provides solid evidence that you were bitten and when. 

What if the dog cannot be located? 

Being bitten by a stray or feral dog is a real possibility. If a dog cannot be found, you may need to undergo the rabies vaccine shots as a precaution. This is the best reason to report immediately and provide as many details as possible. Always let animal control know if you think the dog is a stray so they can start looking right away. 

Georgia Dog Bite Quarantine Requirements 

Georgia law requires any dog (or cat or ferret) that bites a person to be quarantined for ten days. If the anima has been vaccinated against rabies the quarantine can take place in the owner’s home, but if it is an unvaccinated animal the quarantine may need to take place in a veterinarian’s office, shelter, or animal control facility. Wild or stray animals are subject to immediate euthanasia and necropsy examination. 

Why are dogs quarantined after a bite? 

Rabies is 100% fatal after symptoms appear. Quarantine periods give doctors time to determine if a bite victim needs a full rabies vaccination series to be protected from the virus. It also protects the public from a potentially rabid dog. 

What happens if the owner refuses quarantine requirements? 

Owners who refuse to vaccinate their dogs against rabies may do so with full liability for any subsequent harm done by the animal. If an owner refuses to quarantine a dog after a bite, law enforcement and animal control can: 

• Confiscate the animal, including forcibly seizing the animal from the owner’s property 
• File criminal charges and fines 
• Relocate the animal at the owner’s expense (boarding, medical care, feeding) 
• Immediate euthanasia and testing (if the animal displays signs of illness) 

Can You file a Claim if You Never Reported the Dog Bite? 

You do not have to report a dog bite. Perhaps the dog belonged to a friend, and you knew rabies wasn’t a risk, so you didn’t want to get law enforcement involved. Reporting strengthens your claim, but it isn’t a legal requirement. Your attorney can build a strong case on medical records, witness statements, and photos. 

If you want to report a dog bite days or weeks after the attack, you should do so. It still creates a record, and you may still uncover the dog’s history of biting or the owner’s history of citations. A delayed report can make a quarantine impossible, so if you have a concern about rabies or other diseases delay is not a good idea. Delay also gives injuries and memories time to fade and lets the owner argue that nothing really happened. 

Medical records can fill in some of the details, since doctors, especially ER doctors, note the date, cause, and nature of the injury. They cannot describe what kind of dog bit you or how the injury occurred. It’s always best to report an injury at the time it occurs. 

Whether you report or not, Georgia’s statute of limitations (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33) is two years from the date of injury. If you must decide between filing a dog bite report or filing your insurance claim, you should err on the side of the claim.  

How a Dog Bite Lawyer Uses Animal Control Reports to Build a Case 

Attorneys routinely send Open Records Act requests to animal control to obtain dog bite reports. Once a case is filed, formal discovery methods (subpoenas and records requests) can help obtain the complete file, including prior complaints that may not be given to individuals. 

These reports help show the facts of the case, identify the owner and “keepers” responsible for the dog’s actions, establish whether the animal was loose or running in violation of leash laws, and show any prior complaints or “dangerous dog” classifications. 

If the dog was loose or unvaccinated in violation of Georgia state law, your attorney can use these facts, backed up with the report, to prove the owner knew of the rules and negligently or recklessly ignored them. 

If the insurance company disputes or denies liability, the reports demonstrate a clear timeline from the owner to the dog to your injury that is difficult to disprove. The animal control report and medical records are the foundation for the money side of your claim. In Georgia, you can recover special damages (quantifiable costs) and general damages (harder-to-measure harms), under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-2: 

• Special damages: ER visits, surgery, rabies shots, physical therapy, scar revision, medications, and lost wages 
• General damages: pain and suffering, emotional distress, and permanent scarring or disfigurement 

Georgia courts have allowed recovery for things like physical therapy and counseling for nightmares and fear of dogs (Jones v. Bebee), specialist care (Steagald v. Eason), and future plastic surgery (Perry v. Sims). 

A Real-World Georgia Example 

Let’s walk through how this plays out in practice. 

The attack. Vinny, a delivery driver in Atlanta, walks up to a home to drop off a package. The homeowner’s large dog rushes him through the open gate and bites his arm and thigh before he can retreat to his van. 

Emergency treatment. Vinny drives himself to the nearest ER. Doctors clean and stitch the wounds, give him a tetanus shot, and start a rabies series because no one can confirm the dog’s vaccinations. The hospital notes the cause as a dog bite and reports it to public health. 

Reporting the bite. Still shaken, Vinny calls county animal control that same day. He gives the address, a description of the dog, and the homeowner’s name. He asks for and writes down the case number. 

The investigation. An animal control officer visits the home, confirms the dog, and notes that the gate was open and the dog was unrestrained. This is a leash-ordinance violation. The officer issues a citation. 

Quarantine. Because vaccination records are incomplete, the dog is quarantined and observed for rabies. The records now tie this specific dog to Vinny’s bite. 

Witness statements. A neighbor tells the officer the dog has charged people before. Her name goes in the report. 

Obtaining the report. A week later, Vinny’s attorney sends an Open Records request and receives the full file. 

Discovery of prior complaints. The file reveals two earlier complaints about the same dog lunging at passersby; proof the owner knew the dog was a risk. 

Insurance company response. The claim goes to the homeowner’s insurer. At first, the adjuster argues Vinny must have provoked the dog. But the report shows the dog was loose, the ordinance was violated, and there were prior complaints. 

Settlement negotiations. With a leash-law violation satisfying the “vicious propensity” element under S&S Towing v. Charnota, prior complaints establishing the owner’s knowledge, and a real risk of punitive damages (like the $75,000 awarded in McCreary v. Andrews and $18,000 in Praylo v. Deloach), the insurer’s position collapses. 

Final outcome. The insurer agrees to a full settlement covering Vinny’s medical bills, lost delivery income, and pain and suffering, far more than the early lowball offer. The animal control report, and especially the prior complaints it revealed, made the difference. 

(This example is illustrative and based on the legal principles in your library; outcomes vary by case.)

Myths and Facts About Dog Bite Animal Control Reports 

Myth #1: “Reporting a dog bite automatically means the dog will be euthanized.” 

Fact: Reporting usually leads to observation and a rabies quarantine, not automatic euthanasia. Most reported dogs are returned to their owners after the observation period. Reporting is about safety and creating a record, not punishing the dog. 

Myth #2: “Animal control reports don’t help injury claims.” 

Fact: They’re often one of the strongest pieces of evidence. A report can prove the attack, name the owner, reveal prior complaints, and show leash-law violations, exactly what you need under O.C.G.A. § 51-2-7. 

Myth #3: “Minor dog bites don’t need to be reported.” 

Fact: Even small bites carry a rabies risk and can become infected. A “minor” bite may be part of a pattern, and your report could be the one that finally documents a dangerous dog’s history. 

Myth #5: “A dog with no prior bites can never create liability.” 

Fact: Not true in Georgia. If a local leash or restraint ordinance was violated and the dog was loose, that alone can satisfy the “vicious propensity” requirement, with no prior bite needed. Owners can also be liable for non-bite injuries, like being knocked down by a charging dog (Givan v. Bass).