ArticlesQuick answer: After a dog bite in Alabama, get medical care first, then report the attack to the police and your local animal control. In Birmingham, call 911 if the attack is ongoing or 311 for the City’s animal control services. Alabama law (Ala. Code § 3-7A-9) requires the dog to be quarantined and observed for rabies, typically for 10 days. The official report protects your health, and it creates the record that often proves the owner knew the dog was dangerous, which can make or break your injury claim.
Bitten in Birmingham? Call (205) 407-6009 for a free consultation with a Birmingham dog bite lawyer.
A dog bite is medically dangerous and emotionally traumatic, and what you do in the first hours matters twice over: once for your health, and once for your legal claim. Reporting the bite properly creates the official paper trail that Alabama dog bite cases are often won or lost on.
Here is exactly how to report a dog bite in Alabama, step by step, and what happens after you do.
Step 1: Get Medical Care First
Dog bites carry a serious risk of infection, including rabies and tetanus, and puncture wounds are often deeper than they look. Seek emergency care for serious wounds, bites to the face or neck, heavy bleeding, or any bite from a stray or unknown dog. Prompt treatment also documents your injuries, and medical providers who treat animal bites report them to health authorities, which starts the official record even before you make your own report.
Step 2: Report the Attack to Police and Animal Control
Call 911 if the attack is in progress, the dog is still loose and threatening people, or the owner is being aggressive or trying to flee. Once the scene is safe, report the bite:
- In Birmingham: call 311 to reach the City’s animal control services, or the police non-emergency line to file a report.
- Elsewhere in Jefferson County and Alabama: contact your municipal animal control or the county sheriff’s non-emergency line.
Give the responding officer or animal control officer the full story: where it happened, what the dog looked like, who owns it, and the names of any witnesses. Ask how to obtain a copy of the report.
Step 3: The Rabies Quarantine (Ala. Code § 3-7A-9)
Alabama’s rabies control law requires a dog that bites a person to be quarantined and observed, typically for 10 days, under the oversight of the local rabies officer and health authorities. Animal control will verify the dog’s rabies vaccination status as part of this process. If the dog was a stray or cannot be located, tell your doctor immediately, because that changes the rabies analysis and your doctor may recommend post-exposure treatment.
Why the report matters to your injury claim. Under Alabama Code § 3-6-3, an owner who proves they had no knowledge their dog was dangerous can limit your recovery to “actual expenses” only, cutting out pain and suffering. Animal control records, prior complaints, and bite reports are exactly the evidence that defeats that defense. A formal report can also support a petition to have the dog declared dangerous under Emily’s Law (§ 3-6A-3), which strengthens the civil case further. No report often means no record, and no record makes the owner’s denial much harder to disprove.
Step 4: Document the Scene, the Dog, and the Owner
If you can do so safely, photograph your injuries, torn clothing, the location of the attack, and the dog itself. Then gather:
- The owner’s name, address, and phone number
- The dog’s breed, color, and name, and its vaccination status if the owner will share it
- Names and contact information for every witness
- Photos of any “Beware of Dog” signs, broken fencing, or chains, which can show the owner knew the dog was dangerous
If the owner tries to leave without sharing information, do not physically stop them. Note their vehicle, direction, and description, and give it all to the police and animal control.
Step 5: Do Not Handle the Insurance Company Alone
Do not sign anything. In one of our cases, a client attacked by a pit bull was pressured into signing a $500 release days after the bite. Fob James, IV proved she had been fraudulently induced to sign and recovered the full $100,000 policy limits. Do not sign a release or give a recorded statement until you have spoken with a lawyer.
Step 6: Call an Alabama Dog Bite Lawyer
The sooner an attorney is involved, the more evidence can be preserved. Surveillance footage gets overwritten in days, witnesses move, and quarantine records get easier to obtain when requested promptly. An experienced Birmingham dog bite lawyer will secure the reports, build the proof of the owner’s knowledge, and handle the insurer while you heal. Remember that Alabama generally gives you only two years from the date of the bite to file suit.
What Happens After You Report a Dog Bite?
Animal control or the rabies officer will contact the owner, verify vaccinations, and enforce the quarantine. The investigation creates records you and your attorney can request later, including any history of prior complaints about the same dog. If the dog seriously injured you and the facts warrant it, authorities can petition a court to declare the dog dangerous under Emily’s Law, and in the most serious cases the owner can face criminal charges. Your civil claim for compensation proceeds separately, and the official record you created by reporting becomes some of its strongest evidence.
Reporting a Dog Bite: FAQs
Do I have to report a dog bite in Alabama?
Reporting is strongly recommended and, for medical providers, required. Doctors who treat animal bites report them to health authorities, and you should report the attack to the police and your local animal control as well. In Birmingham, call 911 if the attack is ongoing or 311 for the City’s animal control services. The report protects public safety and creates the official record your injury claim may depend on.
What happens to the dog after I report a bite?
Under Alabama Code Section 3-7A-9, a dog that bites a person is quarantined and observed for rabies, typically for 10 days. Animal control verifies the dog’s vaccination status. If an investigation shows the dog is dangerous, authorities can petition a court to declare it a dangerous dog under Emily’s Law, and in serious cases the owner can face criminal charges.
Can I get a copy of the animal control or police report?
Yes. Animal control and police reports are generally available on request, and your attorney can obtain them along with any prior complaint history about the same dog. Those records are often the key evidence proving the owner knew the dog was dangerous.
What if the dog was a stray or the owner is unknown?
Tell your doctor immediately, because an unknown or unavailable dog changes the rabies analysis and your doctor may recommend post-exposure treatment. Report the attack anyway with the best description you have. A lawyer can also investigate ownership through neighbors, cameras, and prior animal control complaints.
Fob James Law Firm: Birmingham Dog Bite Attorneys
For more than 40 combined years, our attorneys have represented injury victims across Alabama, including dog bite recoveries of $100,000, $207,000, and $400,000 in cases other firms turned down. We give you direct access to your attorney, we handle everything on contingency, and the consultation is always free.
Call (205) 407-6009 or contact us online today.
Fob James, IV
Fob James obtained a B.S., in software engineering from Auburn University and then continued his education by getting his J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law. After working for a large national firm for several years, Fob found that his passion was fighting for individuals who have been seriously injured or wronged by others. Fob believes that the jury is the great equalizer to the power and influence that large corporations have in society. Many of Fob’s cases are high profile and have been featured in, among others: Bloomberg News, PlanAdvisor, AL.com, PlanSponsor, InsuranceJournal, and BusinessInsider. For his work in obtaining numerous multi-million dollar outcomes for his clients, Fob has been recognized by: National Trial Lawyers Top 100, SuperLawyers Rising Star (2020-2025), Birmingham Business Journal Who’s Who in Law (2023-2025), and TrustAnalytica – Top Personal Injury Lawyers in Alabama.