Every year, thousands of children across the United States are bitten by dogs — and the consequences can be far more serious than a simple wound. For Pennsylvania parents, knowing exactly what to do in the hours, days, and weeks following a dog attack can make a critical difference to your child’s health, emotional recovery, and your family’s ability to pursue fair legal compensation.
This guide walks you through everything you need to know when your child is bitten by a dog, from the moment the bite happens to navigating Pennsylvania’s dog bite laws on your child’s behalf.
Step 1: Seek Immediate Medical Attention
Even bites that appear minor on the surface can carry serious risks, including deep tissue damage, nerve injury, and infection from bacteria in a dog’s mouth. If the wound is severe, call 911 immediately.
For less critical injuries, visit an emergency room or urgent care center as soon as possible. A medical professional should:
- Clean and dress the wound properly to reduce infection risk
- Assess whether stitches, surgery, or specialist referral is needed
- Document the nature and extent of the injuries
This medical documentation is also crucial to any future legal claim, so do not delay or skip this step, even if the bite looks manageable.
Step 2: Identify the Dog and Its Owner
If you don’t already know whose dog was involved, gather this information as quickly as possible:
- The dog owner’s name, address, and contact information
- The dog’s breed, size, and any identifying features
- Whether the dog is up to date on its rabies vaccination — this is urgent medical information your child’s doctor will need
If the dog is a stray or its owner cannot be identified, report this immediately to your local animal control authority.
Step 3: Document Everything
Thorough documentation strengthens your child’s legal case significantly. Starting from the day of the attack:
- Photograph the injuries immediately and continue documenting their appearance as they heal or worsen
- Write down what happened — the location, time, circumstances, and how the attack unfolded, while the details are fresh
- Collect witness information — names and contact details of anyone who saw the attack
- Keep every medical record and receipt, including emergency room visits, prescriptions, follow-up appointments, and therapy sessions.
- Save all communication with the dog’s owner, their insurance company, or any property manager involved.
Your dog bite attorney can help guide this process and take over the communication with the insurance companies for you.
Step 4: Report the Incident
File an official dog bite report with your local animal control agency or police department. This step serves two important purposes:
- It creates a legal record of the incident
- It may reveal whether the dog has a prior history of aggression — information that can be critical to your family’s case.
Pennsylvania’s recent legal updates have made it easier to hold owners accountable, including removing the requirement to prove a dog had a prior propensity to attack in criminal bite cases.
Step 5: Monitor Your Child’s Physical and Emotional Recovery
Dog attacks affect children far beyond the initial physical injury. In the days and weeks that follow, watch closely for:
Physical complications:
- Signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, warmth, or discharge around the wound
- Fever, which may indicate a systemic infection
- Changes in mobility or sensation if muscles or nerves were affected
Emotional and psychological symptoms:
- Nightmares or difficulty sleeping
- Increased anxiety, fear of dogs, or reluctance to go outside
- Withdrawal from friends, school, or activities they previously enjoyed
- Regression in younger children, such as bedwetting or clinginess
Dog attacks are one of the leading causes of PTSD in children. Medical research shows that over a third of children experience symptoms such as fear, anxiety, and changes in social behavior after dog attacks.
If your child is showing signs of emotional distress, connect them with a pediatric counselor or psychologist as soon as possible. This treatment is also a recoverable damage in a Pennsylvania dog bite claim.
Step 6: Contact an Experienced Pennsylvania Dog Bite Lawyer
Child dog bite cases are legally distinct from adult cases, and the stakes are significantly higher. An experienced dog bite attorney can:
- Handle all communications with the dog owner’s insurance company on your behalf
- Ensure every category of damage — present and future — is properly documented and valued
- Work with medical experts to project your child’s long-term treatment needs
- Negotiate a settlement that truly reflects the lasting impact of the injury
- Represent your child’s interests in court if a fair settlement cannot be reached
Do not accept any settlement offer from an insurance company before speaking with an attorney. Initial offers are almost always far lower than what your child’s case is worth.
Pennsylvania Dog Bite Law Updates Parents Should Know
Pennsylvania has recently strengthened protections for dog bite victims, including children:
- The requirement to prove prior aggressive behavior has been removed from criminal dog bite cases
- Fines for failing to vaccinate dogs against rabies have increased
- New 2025 licensing laws now require all dog owners to register their animals
- Kennels are now required to disclose a dog’s bite and attack history at the point of sale
What Types of Compensation Are Available to My Child?
Pennsylvania law allows families to pursue both economic and non-economic damages following a child’s dog bite.
| Category | Types of Compensation |
| Economic Damages | • Emergency surgery and hospital care• Plastic surgery to address scarring — a particularly important consideration as a child grows• Future corrective procedures and medical care into adulthood• Physical therapy to restore mobility and function• Ongoing psychological counseling and treatment |
| Non-Economic Damages | • Pain and suffering• Emotional distress• Loss of enjoyment of activities and daily life |
Frequently Asked Questions: Child Dog Bites in Pennsylvania
What should I do first if my child is bitten by a dog?
Call 911 or take your child to the emergency room immediately. Even bites that look minor can cause serious infections or internal damage. Getting prompt medical care is the single most important step you can take — both for your child’s health and for your legal case.
Can I sue if the dog had never bitten anyone before?
Yes. Under Pennsylvania’s strict liability law, the owner is responsible for your child’s medical expenses regardless of the dog’s prior behavior. For additional damages like pain and suffering, a prior bite history strengthens your case, but an experienced attorney can often pursue these damages on other grounds, such as owner negligence.
What if the bite happened at a neighbor’s or friend’s house?
The dog owner’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy typically covers dog bite liability, even when the incident occurs on their property. This means pursuing a claim does not necessarily require suing your neighbor personally, as it is a claim against their insurance.
How long do I have to file a dog bite claim in Pennsylvania?
In Pennsylvania, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is generally two years from the date of the incident. However, for minors, the clock typically does not start running until they turn 18, giving them until their 20th birthday to file. That said, acting quickly preserves evidence and strengthens your case.
My child is showing signs of fear and anxiety after the attack. Can we recover compensation for that?
Absolutely. Emotional distress and psychological trauma are recognized forms of damage under Pennsylvania law. If a mental health professional connects your child’s behavioral changes to the dog attack, you may be entitled to compensation for counseling costs, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.
What if my child was partially at fault — for example, if they approached the dog without permission?
Pennsylvania follows a comparative negligence standard, which means compensation may be reduced if the victim is found partially at fault. However, children are held to a lower standard of care based on their age and maturity.
Young children, in particular, are rarely found significantly at fault, and the burden remains on the dog owner to prevent their animal from harming others.
How much is my child’s dog bite case worth?
Every case is different. The value depends on the severity of the injuries, the extent of scarring, the cost of past and future medical treatment, the emotional impact on the child, and other factors.
Cases involving significant facial scarring or long-term psychological trauma tend to result in higher settlements. An experienced dog bite attorney can give you a realistic estimate after reviewing the details of your case.
Do I need a lawyer, or can I handle the insurance claim myself?
You can file a claim without an attorney, but it is rarely in your child’s best interest to do so. Insurance companies are motivated to settle quickly and for as little as possible — and they have experienced adjusters and lawyers working on their side.
An attorney who specializes in child dog bite cases understands how to value long-term damages, negotiate effectively, and protect your child’s future.
How much does a dog bite lawyer cost?
Most dog bite attorneys, including those specializing in child cases, work on a contingency fee basis, and so you pay no legal fees unless your case results in a settlement or court award. There is no financial risk in consulting with an attorney.
What if the dog’s owner has no insurance?
This is a more challenging situation, but it does not necessarily mean your child has no recourse. An attorney can investigate whether a landlord, property owner, or another party may share liability. In some cases, assets belonging to the dog owner may be pursued directly.
Real Results For Children Bitten By Dogs Across Pennsylvania
Attorney Jeffrey Penneys has spent over 30 years fighting for Pennsylvania children injured in dog attacks. Recent case results include:
- $295,000 recovered for a teenage girl who suffered a severe bite to her upper lip from a dog with known aggression issues, requiring emergency plastic surgery and leaving lasting nerve damage.
- $100,000 recovered for a five-year-old girl who lost the tip of her finger in an attack by a neighbor’s dog she had interacted with safely on many prior occasions.
- $95,000 recovered for a Montgomery County boy attacked by a neighbor’s dog that broke through a fence and bit him multiple times, causing significant blood loss.
Your Child Deserves Full and Fair Compensation
A dog bite is not just a physical injury. The attack can reshape a child’s confidence, mental health, and quality of life for years to come. Philadelphia dog bite lawyer Jeff Penneys has over 30 years of experience holding dog owners and the insurance companies accountable.
If your child has been bitten by a dog, don’t navigate this process alone. You can schedule a free consultation with Jeff Penneys 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You pay nothing in legal fees unless your child’s case results in a settlement or judgment.
Call (215) 259-3703 or book your consultation online today.