Dog Bites

Dog Bites 

After a dog bite, you should first seek immediate medical help. Our state requires both the dog owner and the victim to notify their health departments of the bite. The standard procedure in Del Norte County is to file a report with our department and we will forward this information to the health department.

Dogs are required to be quarantined for a minimum of 10 days after biting a person in California. Dog bite reports trigger the quarantine process. This mandatory quarantine is to ensure the dog does not have rabies. If the dog is confirmed to have rabies, the victim of the dog bite will be notified immediately so they may begin the series of rabies shots to prevent infection.

If a dog has a current rabies vaccination, it may be quarantined at home for a period of 10 days if there is an appropriate place to do so as deemed fit by the animal control officer, or for 5 days if quarantined at a licensed veterinarian’s office. If the dog does not have a current rabies vaccination, the quarantine must be done at the shelter for 10 days. All associated fees are the responsibility of the dog owner.

Please call our office at 707-464-7235 to report a dog bite.