Bitten by a dog in San Antonio: who to call, the dangerous dog process, and finding a dog bite lawyer

Last checked November 8, 2026

In San Antonio, call 311 right away to report a dog bite, since bites that break skin must be reported.12 The dog must be quarantined for 10 days.3 Outside city limits, call Bexar County Animal Control at 210-335-9000.4 You generally have 2 years to sue over a dog bite in Texas.5

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Road map of San Antonio, where city code requires owners to keep dogs restrained and the city maps dangerous dogs by address
Dog bite in San Antonio? Call 311. The dog must be held for 10 days. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What should I do right after a dog bite in San Antonio?

  1. Wash the wound with soap and hot water right away, then see a doctor about whether you need rabies treatment.6
  2. Call 311 so the animal can be found and quarantined. Give a description, the breed and the owner's name if you know it.2
  3. Ask the owner for their name, address, rabies records and home insurance. Stay calm and do not argue about fault.
  4. Take photos of the wound today and every few days as it heals. Keep bills and days off work.
  5. If you are outside city limits, call Bexar County instead. The city does not answer calls in unincorporated areas.4

Bites on the face, hands or near a joint can get worse fast, and University Hospital is a Level I trauma center for adults and for children.7 Tell the doctor what kind of animal bit you and whether you know about its shots.

What happens to a dog that bites someone in San Antonio?

State law requires the report, and Animal Care Services is the local rabies control authority for the city.1 Whatever its vaccination status, the biting dog must be quarantined for ten days or humanely euthanized.3 That rule protects you, because it tells your doctor whether rabies is a concern.

The city's penalties also went up. In December 2024 the City Council raised fines for owners who fail to prevent an unprovoked bite. They now start at $1,000 for a first offense.8 A fine goes to the city, not to you, so it does not replace an injury claim.

Are dogs allowed to roam loose in San Antonio?

No. The city says it is illegal for dogs to roam off their owner's property,9 and city code requires owners to keep dogs restrained at all times.10 Even so, loose dogs are a known local problem. A city study estimated about 34,636 unrestrained dogs in San Antonio at any given time in fiscal year 2019,11 and found that between 87.2% and 96.5% of them were likely owned.12 The city says some high-risk areas have confirmed packs of roaming dogs.13

That second number matters. If a loose dog bit you, there is a good chance someone owns it, and that person may have insurance. Ask neighbors whose dog it is, and tell the 311 operator exactly where it went.

How do you get a dog declared dangerous in San Antonio?

A dog is identified as dangerous if it makes an unprovoked attack that causes bodily injury outside an enclosure that was reasonably certain to hold it.14 To begin an investigation, you must fill out the city's affidavit and describe what happened.15 Fill it out carefully and keep a copy, because it is a sworn statement.

Once a dog is deemed dangerousWhy it matters to you
The owner must buy a $100,000 liability insurance policy16State law also calls for this coverage or proof of ability to pay17
The address appears on the city's searchable registry18You can check whether a dog was already deemed dangerous
Animal Care Services says an owner in violation can be held liable civilly and criminally19Your claim can run alongside the city's case

When the registry launched in December 2023, more than 100 dogs were listed as dangerous.20 Look up the address where you were bitten and save a screenshot. If the dog was already on the list, that can be strong proof the owner knew.

Does the owner have to pay for a dog bite in San Antonio?

Often, but Texas does not have a simple dog bite statute. Chapter 822 of the Health and Safety Code covers seizing dogs and criminal charges, and it does not say when an owner must pay an injured person, so a claim comes from other Texas law.21 A lawyer will usually look at whether the owner was careless, for example by letting the dog roam against city code, or knew the dog was dangerous.

The owner can also face criminal charges if a negligently unsecured dog seriously hurts someone away from the owner's land, car or boat.22 After a death or serious injury, anyone can ask a court, by sworn complaint, to have the dog seized.23

Texas also bars recovery when your share of the blame is more than 50 percent.24 Expect questions about whether you teased the dog or came onto the property without permission.

My child was bitten by a dog in San Antonio. What now?

Children are often bitten near the face, and scars can change as a child grows. Ask about follow-up with a specialist. The 2-year clock for a child usually waits until age 18,25 but the evidence does not, so report it and gather proof now.

When should I call a dog bite lawyer in San Antonio?

  • The bite needed stitches or surgery, or left a scar.
  • The dog was on the registry or had bitten before.
  • The owner will not share insurance information.
  • A landlord or business may also be responsible.
  • You were bitten while working. Workers' comp may apply too.26

Small claims up to $20,000 can go to a Bexar County justice court.27 Scars and surgeries often justify more, so talk with a lawyer before you pick a court.

Questions

Who do I call for a dog bite in San Antonio?

Call 311 in the city.2 In unincorporated Bexar County, call Bexar County Animal Control at 210-335-9000.4

How long do I have to sue for a dog bite in San Antonio?

Generally 2 years.5 A child's deadline usually waits until age 18.25

How long is a biting dog quarantined in San Antonio?

Ten days, whatever its vaccination status.3

How can I see if a dog is dangerous in San Antonio?

Check the city's searchable dangerous dog registry, which lists addresses.18

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San Antonio

Dog bite

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Sources

  1. San Antonio Animal Care Services, Animal Bites, checked 2026-11-08. “State law mandates all animal bites or scratches that break skin must be reported to the local rabies control authority.”
  2. San Antonio Animal Care Services, Animal Bites, checked 2026-11-08. “please call 3-1-1 (311) to report the bite immediately”
  3. San Antonio Animal Care Services, Animal Bites, checked 2026-11-08. “Regardless of vaccination status, the biting animal must be quarantined for ten (10) days or humanely euthanized.”
  4. San Antonio Animal Care Services, Animal Control, checked 2026-11-08. “Bexar County residents should call Bexar County Animal Control at 210-335-9000”
  5. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003(a), checked 2026-11-08. “personal injury, forcible entry and detainer, and forcible detainer not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues.”
  6. San Antonio Animal Care Services, Animal Bites, checked 2026-11-08. “Immediately wash the wound thoroughly with soap and hot water”
  7. University Health, Trauma Care, checked 2026-11-08. “verified by the American College of Surgeons as both a Level I trauma center and a Level I pediatric trauma center”
  8. San Antonio Animal Care Services, Ordinances, checked 2026-11-08. “These fines start at $1,000 for the first offense”
  9. San Antonio Animal Care Services, Animal Control, checked 2026-11-08. “it is illegal for dogs to roam off their owner's property”
  10. San Antonio City Code, Sec. 5-150 (Municode), checked 2026-11-08. “shall keep the animal (except cats) restrained at all times”
  11. San Antonio Animal Care Services, FY 2019 Unrestrained Dog Population Study, checked 2026-11-08. “approximately 34,636 at any given time”
  12. San Antonio Animal Care Services, FY 2019 Unrestrained Dog Population Study, checked 2026-11-08. “between 87.2% and 96.5% of all unrestrained dogs are likely owned”
  13. San Antonio Animal Care Services, Animal Control, checked 2026-11-08. “Some high-risk areas of the City have confirmed packs of roaming dogs.”
  14. San Antonio Animal Care Services, Dangerous or Aggressive Dogs, checked 2026-11-08. “It makes an unprovoked attack on a person that causes bodily injury.”
  15. San Antonio Animal Care Services, Dangerous or Aggressive Dogs, checked 2026-11-08. “you must complete the affidavit and detail the incident”
  16. San Antonio Animal Care Services, Dangerous or Aggressive Dogs, checked 2026-11-08. “purchase a $100,000 liability insurance policy”
  17. Tex. Health & Safety Code § 822.042(a)(3), checked 2026-11-08. “obtain liability insurance coverage or show financial responsibility in an amount of at least $100,000 to cover damages resulting from an attack by the dangerous dog causing bodily injury to a person”
  18. City of San Antonio news release, December 1, 2023, checked 2026-11-08. “searchable dangerous dog registry”
  19. San Antonio Animal Care Services, Dangerous or Aggressive Dogs, checked 2026-11-08. “they can be held liable both civilly and criminally”
  20. City of San Antonio news release, December 1, 2023, checked 2026-11-08. “more than 100 dogs deemed”
  21. Tex. Health & Safety Code ch. 822, subch. A, checked 2026-11-08. “SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS; DOGS THAT ATTACK PERSONS OR ARE A DANGER TO PERSONS”
  22. Tex. Health & Safety Code § 822.005(a)(1), checked 2026-11-08. “with criminal negligence, as defined by Section 6.03, Penal Code, fails to secure the dog and the dog makes an unprovoked attack on another person that occurs at a location other than the owner's real property or in or on the owner's motor vehicle or boat and that causes serious bodily injury, as defined by Section 1.07, Penal Code, or death to the other person;”
  23. Tex. Health & Safety Code § 822.002(a), checked 2026-11-08. “on the sworn complaint of any person, including the county attorney, the city attorney, or a peace officer, that the dog has caused the death of or serious bodily injury to a person by attacking, biting, or mauling the person;”
  24. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
  25. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-08. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”
  26. Tex. Lab. Code § 417.001(a), checked 2026-11-08. “An employee or legal beneficiary may seek damages from a third party who is or becomes liable to pay damages for an injury or death that is compensable under this subtitle and may also pursue a claim for workers' compensation benefits under this subtitle.”
  27. Bexar County Justice of the Peace, Civil Cases, checked 2026-11-08. “The claim can be for no more than $20,000 excluding statutory interest and court costs”

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