Tucson dog bite lawyer: how to report a bite, your rights and how long you have

Last checked November 8, 2026

Report a dog bite in Tucson to Pima Animal Care Center at 520-724-5900, ext. 4.1 Arizona makes the owner pay for a bite in a public place or where you were lawfully present, even if the dog had never been mean.2 No statute fixes the deadline, so plan on one year to be safe.3

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Road map of Tucson, where city code requires a dog on public property to be on a leash no longer than six feet
Tucson dog bite? Report it to Pima Animal Care: 520-724-5900, ext. 4. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What should you do after a dog bite in Tucson?

  1. Wash the wound well with soap and water and get medical care right away, as Pima County's health page advises.4
  2. Get the owner's name and contact details. Arizona law says the person who owns or is caring for the dog has to give them to you.5
  3. Report it. Pima County says all animal bites must go to the Pima Animal Care Center.6 The number is 520-724-5900, ext. 4.1
  4. Ask about rabies shots. The owner has to provide proof of a current vaccination.7
  5. Photograph the wound today and again as it heals.
  6. Write down what the dog looked like, where it happened, and who saw it.

Do you need rabies shots after a dog bite in Tucson?

Your doctor decides, and the local health department can help. Pima County Health can do a rabies assessment over the phone at 520-724-7797.4 Do not wait and see. The county says rabies is most common in bats, skunks and foxes in Southern Arizona, but it can spread to dogs and other animals.8

If you do not know the dog or cannot find the owner, tell your doctor that at once. Knowing whether the dog can be watched for ten days can change your treatment.

What happens to the dog after a bite in Tucson?

Every animal that bites and breaks skin has to go through a 10-day quarantine, and a dog current on its rabies shots may qualify to do it at home.9 Arizona law also sets a minimum ten-day quarantine for an unvaccinated dog or cat that bites.10 A PACC Animal Protection Officer has to make in-person contact with the owner before closing the call.11

That report helps you later. Public records requests can be made once the case is closed.11 Ask for your case number when you call so you can request the file. A closed animal control file does not end your right to bring your own claim.

What are the leash laws in Tucson?

WhereThe rule
Tucson streets, sidewalks, parks and other public propertyLeash, chain or similar device no longer than six feet12
Inside city limits, at homeMust be kept in by a fence or enclosure or inside the house. Tie-outs are prohibited.13
Areas under Pima County codeAn owner whose dog is at large on streets, sidewalks, alleys or public property commits a Class 2 misdemeanor14

A loose dog matters to your claim. Arizona law says the owner or person responsible for a dog at large is fully responsible for injuries.15 Take a picture of the open gate or the gap in the fence from a public spot.

If you want the owner cited for a loose dog, PACC can do that if an officer sees it, if two people from different addresses can verify the incident, or if there is clear photo or video.16

When does a dog owner have to pay in Tucson?

SituationResult under Arizona law
In a public place or lawfully on private propertyThe owner is liable, whatever the dog's past2
On the owner's propertyYou count as lawful if invited, a guest, or doing a legal duty17
You provoked the dogThe owner can raise that as a defense18

A homeowner's or renter's policy often pays these claims. Ask for the insurance company's name. Be careful with adjusters who call quickly, and do not say the wound is fine until a doctor has said so.

How long do you have to file a dog bite claim in Tucson?

No statute says which deadline applies, so this is unsettled. Arizona allows one year for a liability created by statute.3 Other injury claims generally get two.19 Do not bet on the longer one. Count one year from the day of the bite and file before that.

For children, a deadline usually waits until 18,20 but ask a lawyer before you count on it. Bites to a child's face can scar, and a doctor can tell you what follow-up care to expect.

Can you take a small dog bite claim to court yourself in Tucson?

For small bills, yes. Pima small claims is limited to $5,000 and does not allow attorneys.2122 Justice courts hear civil cases of $10,000 or less.23 Larger claims go to Pima County Superior Court.24 Think hard before you pick small claims if your injury may turn out worse than it looks, because a scar can cost more to treat than it first seems.

When should you call a Tucson dog bite lawyer?

  • You needed stitches, surgery or rabies shots.
  • The bite left a scar or you lost feeling.
  • A child was bitten, especially on the face.
  • The owner refuses to give you information or their insurer.
  • The bite happened at work, where comp rules may also apply.25
  • The one-year date is close.

Questions

Who do I call about a dog bite in Tucson?

Pima Animal Care Center dispatch, 520-724-5900, ext. 4.1

Does a dog have to be quarantined after a bite in Pima County?

Yes, for 10 days if it broke the skin. Some vaccinated dogs can stay home.9

Can I sue if the dog had never bitten anyone?

Yes. Arizona's law applies whatever the dog's history.2

Does a dog have to be on a leash in Tucson?

On public property, yes, on a leash of six feet or less.12

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Sources

  1. pima.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “You can contact Animal Protection Services Dispatchers by calling 520-724-5900, ext. 4.”
  2. 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.”
  3. 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.”
  4. Pima County Health Department, Rabies, checked 2026-11-08. “can do a rabies assessment over the phone for you”
  5. 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.”
  6. Pima County, Pet Owner Resources, checked 2026-11-08. “All animal bites must be reported to the Pima Animal Care Center”
  7. Pima Animal Care Center, I Need Help With, checked 2026-11-08. “must provide proof of a current rabies vaccination”
  8. Pima County Health Department, Rabies, checked 2026-11-08. “Rabies is most common in bats, skunks, and foxes in Southern Arizona”
  9. Pima Animal Care Center, I Need Help With, checked 2026-11-08. “Every animal that bites and breaks skin must undergo a 10-day quarantine.”
  10. Arizona Revised Statutes 11-1014, checked 2026-11-08. “for a period of at least ten days”
  11. Pima Animal Care Center, I Need Help With, checked 2026-11-08. “Public records requests can be completed after the case is closed.”
  12. Tucson City Code 4-97, checked 2026-11-08. “not more than six (6) feet in length”
  13. Tucson City Code 4-97, checked 2026-11-08. “Tieouts are prohibited.”
  14. Pima County Code 6.04.030, checked 2026-11-08. “found at large upon the streets, sidewalks, alleys, or public property is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor”
  15. 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.”
  16. Pima County, Loose Animals, checked 2026-11-08. “Two people, from different physical addresses, can verify incident”
  17. 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”
  18. 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.”
  19. A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
  20. 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”
  21. jp.pima.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “The principle amount for the claim sought cannot exceed $5,000.00”
  22. Arizona Revised Statutes 22-503, checked 2026-11-08. “does not exceed $5,000, exclusive of interest and costs”
  23. jp.pima.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “when the amount involved is $10,000.00 or less.”
  24. Pima County Superior Court, Contact, checked 2026-11-08. “110 West Congress Street”
  25. A.R.S. § 23-1023(A), checked 2026-11-08. “by the negligence or wrong of another person not in the same employ, the injured employee, or in event of death the injured employee's dependents, may pursue the injured person's remedy against the other person.”

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