Bitten by a dog in Chandler: who to call, leash rules and finding a dog bite lawyer

Last checked November 8, 2026

In Chandler, dog bites go to Maricopa County Animal Care and Control at 602-506-7387.12 Arizona holds the owner responsible for a bite in a public place or where you were lawfully present, even if the dog never bit before.3 The filing deadline is unsettled, so treat one year as your safe limit.4

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Road map of Chandler marking its four fenced dog parks at Paseo Vista, Shawnee Park, Snedigar Sportsplex and Nozomi Park
Bitten in Chandler? Call the county at 602-506-7387, not the city. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Who do I call about a dog bite in Chandler?

Call the county, not City Hall. Chandler's own directory says Maricopa County Animal Care and Control handles rabies and animal control here, and it lists 602-506-7387 for bites.1 You can phone the county's call center or submit a report online.2

Some nearby cities work differently. The county sends residents of Avondale, El Mirage, Glendale, Mesa, Peoria, Surprise and Wickenburg to their local police. Chandler is not on that list.5 So if you were bitten in Mesa on your way home from a Chandler job, the place of the bite is what counts.

For a rabies question, public health takes calls at 602-506-6767, 24 hours a day.6 County health officials ask that every dog and cat bite get reported.7 A report matters even for a small wound, since it may be the only official record of the dog and its owner.

What should I do right after a dog bite in Chandler?

  1. Get care first. The county's own first step is medical attention if needed, along with photos of the injuries.8
  2. Ask for the owner's contact details. Whoever owns or is looking after the dog has to give them to you.9
  3. Ask about shots. An unvaccinated dog or cat that bites a person must be quarantined for at least ten days, counted from the day of the bite.10
  4. Note where it happened, including any gate, fence or leash you saw.
  5. Save the shirt or pants you wore, and photograph the wound again every few days as it heals.
  6. Ask for your treatment records. Dignity Health uses a signed authorization form, and Chandler Regional is the Level I trauma center here for severe wounds.1112

What happens to the dog after a bite report in Chandler?

County officers start with one definition. A bite means the teeth broke the skin.13 When the skin stayed whole, the county records an attack instead. Either way, describe exactly what the dog did.

After a report, the dog is quarantined for 10 days, at home or elsewhere. If the county establishes the dog was at large, it issues a citation.14

A closed file does not end your rights. If no citation is issued, the county stops investigating, and you can still seek money in a civil claim.15

What are the leash laws in Chandler?

Chandler's animal chapter, as printed in a 2023 city ordinance, defines at large as on or off the owner's premises and not under the control of the owner or someone acting for the owner.16 A dog at large on public streets, in public parks or on public property puts its owner or custodian in violation.17 A dog is not at large when it is held by a leash, chain, rope or cord no longer than six feet and strong enough to control it.18

State law backs this up on the injury side. When a dog running loose hurts someone, the owner or the person responsible for the dog is fully responsible.19 That means a person walking the dog for a friend can matter too.

Where you were bittenQuestion that matters
Chandler street, sidewalk or parkWas the dog held on a six-foot leash?18
Paseo Vista, Shawnee, Snedigar or Nozomi dog park20Was the dog under voice control, in sight and vaccinated, as park rules require?21
The owner's home or yardWere you invited, a guest or there doing a legal duty?22
Someone else's propertyDid you have permission to be there, and who was in charge of the dog?

A fenced dog park has its own setting, and we could not find a Chandler rule on who pays for a bite inside one. Get the name of the other owner before anyone leaves. Those parks have only one main entrance,20 so ask at the gate before they leave.

Can a Chandler dog owner refuse to pay?

An owner can argue that you provoked the dog, and proof of that is a defense.23 Children are often accused of teasing a dog, so write down what your child was doing before the details fade. The owner may also argue you were not lawfully on the property.22

Who actually pays is often a homeowner's or renter's insurer, though that depends on the policy, and we could not find an Arizona rule requiring one. A dog bite lawyer in Chandler can ask for that information.

How long do I have to file a dog bite claim in Chandler?

This one is not cut and dried. Arizona gives one year for a liability created by statute, and no statute says which deadline applies to a dog-bite claim.4 The usual injury deadline is 2 years,24 but plan around one year so that an unsettled question does not cost you the case.

A public agency's dog, such as a police dog, brings the 180-day notice into play.25 A claim against Chandler goes to the City Clerk, and email does not count.2627 A child generally gets more time.28

Smaller claims may fit justice court, with a limit of $5,000 for small claims and $10,000 for civil suits.29 Several justice courts sit at 201 E. Chicago St.30

Questions

Who do I report a dog bite to in Chandler?

Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, 602-506-7387, or its online form.2

Does the dog have to be quarantined?

The county quarantines a dog for 10 days after a bite report.14 An unvaccinated dog must be held at least ten days.10

Does Chandler have a leash law?

Yes. A dog at large on public property puts its owner in violation.17 A leash of six feet or less keeps it from being at large.18

How long do I have to sue over a dog bite in Arizona?

The deadline is unsettled, so treat one year as the safe limit.4

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Chandler

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Sources

  1. City of Chandler, City Services Directory, checked 2026-11-08. “The Maricopa County Animal Care and Control Department is responsible for rabies and Animal Control functions in the county.”
  2. Maricopa County, Our Field Team, checked 2026-11-08. “You or your pet are the victim(s) of a dog bite or attack? Contact the Call Center (602-506-7387) or submit an online report”
  3. A.R.S. § 11-1025(A), checked 2026-11-08. “The owner of a dog that bites a person when the person is in or on a public place or lawfully in or on a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, is liable for damages suffered by the person bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner's knowledge of its viciousness.”
  4. A.R.S. § 12-541(5), checked 2026-11-08. “There shall be commenced and prosecuted within one year after the cause of action accrues, and not afterward, the following actions: [...] 5. Upon a liability created by statute, other than a penalty or forfeiture.”
  5. Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, Victims' Rights, checked 2026-11-08. “If you live in any of the following cities or towns, please contact your local Police Department for assistance:”
  6. Maricopa County, Rabies, checked 2026-11-08. “Maricopa County Department of Public Health at 602-506-6767 (24 hours a day)”
  7. Maricopa County, Rabies, checked 2026-11-08. “Report all dog and cat bites to your appropriate municipal animal control office.”
  8. Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, Victims' Rights, checked 2026-11-08. “Seek medical attention if necessary, and take photos of any injuries.”
  9. A.R.S. § 11-1025(B), checked 2026-11-08. “shall provide the owner's contact information to the person who suffered the dog bite.”
  10. Arizona Revised Statutes 11-1014, checked 2026-11-08. “for a period of at least ten days”
  11. Dignity Health Arizona, Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “To request your records, complete an authorization for the release of health information form.”
  12. Arizona Department of Health Services, Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “1955 W. Frye Rd., Chandler, AZ 85224 07/01/25 07/01/28”
  13. Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, Victims' Rights, checked 2026-11-08. “A dog bite is defined as an injury where the dog's teeth have broken skin on a person.”
  14. Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, Victims' Rights, checked 2026-11-08. “Dog is quarantined (home or other) for 10 days.”
  15. Maricopa County Animal Care and Control, Victims' Rights, checked 2026-11-08. “MCACC ends the investigation and the victim can choose to seek restitution as a civil matter.”
  16. City of Chandler, Ordinance 4992 (Chapter 14, Animals), checked 2026-11-08. “At large means on or off-premises of owner and not under control of owner or other persons acting for the owner.”
  17. City of Chandler, Ordinance 4992 (Chapter 14, Animals), checked 2026-11-08. “If any dog is at large on the public streets, public parks or public property, then said dog's owner or custodian is in violation of this article.”
  18. City of Chandler, Ordinance 4992 (Chapter 14, Animals), checked 2026-11-08. “If said dog is restrained by a leash, chain, rope, or cord not more than six (6) feet in length”
  19. A.R.S. § 11-1020, checked 2026-11-08. “Injury to any person or damage to any property by a dog while at large shall be the full responsibility of the dog owner or person or persons responsible for the dog when such damages were inflicted.”
  20. City of Chandler, Dog Parks, checked 2026-11-08. “The parks are surrounded by 6-foot high chain link fences with one main entrance so dogs can't escape unleashed.”
  21. City of Chandler, Dog Parks, checked 2026-11-08. “Keeping your dog under voice control and in your sight at all times”
  22. A.R.S. § 11-1026, checked 2026-11-08. “A person is lawfully in or on the private property of the owner of a dog within the meaning of this article when an invitee or guest, or when in the performance of a duty imposed upon him by law”
  23. A.R.S. § 11-1027, checked 2026-11-08. “Proof of provocation of the attack by the person injured shall be a defense to the action for damages.”
  24. A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
  25. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
  26. City of Chandler, Law Department, checked 2026-11-08. “you must serve a notice of claim on the Chandler City Clerk”
  27. City of Chandler, Law Department, checked 2026-11-08. “Please note that emailing your claim does not constitute proper filing or service.”
  28. A.R.S. § 12-502, checked 2026-11-08. “the period of such disability shall not be deemed a portion of the period limited for commencement of the action”
  29. Maricopa County Justice Courts, checked 2026-11-08. “small claims up to $5,000, and civil lawsuits for amounts up to $10,000”
  30. Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court, Justice Court Locations, checked 2026-11-08. “Address: 201 E. Chicago St., Suite 104 Chandler, AZ 85225”

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