Indianapolis Dog Bite Lawyer

Mixed Statute

Indianapolis Animal Care Services is the enforcement agency for animal-related laws across Indianapolis and Marion County, and the largest animal shelter in Indiana with an average annual intake of around 8,000 animals. Indiana law separately requires all animal bites to be reported to the local health department, and a dog that has bitten must be quarantined for ten days.

What makes the Indianapolis record particularly worth pursuing is Indiana's split liability rule. Ind. Code § 15-20-1-3 gives strict liability only to people bitten while discharging a duty imposed by law — mail carriers, meter readers, process servers, officers. Everyone else must prove the owner knew the dog was dangerous, and a documented prior bite or complaint at the same address is usually the strongest evidence of that available.

So the question to ask animal control differs depending on why you were there. Inside the statutory class, the file mostly confirms the incident. Outside it, the file is where the case is won or lost — prior complaints, a previous dangerous dog determination, earlier quarantine records for the same animal.

Report an Indianapolis bite to Indianapolis Animal Care Services, the enforcement agency for the city and Marion County, and note that Indiana law also requires all animal bites be reported to the local health department with a ten-day quarantine following. Ask specifically whether the dog has prior complaints or a dangerous dog determination on file — unless you were bitten while performing a duty imposed by law, Ind. Code § 15-20-1-3 does not apply to you and that prior history is what your claim needs.

Read the full statute breakdown: Indiana Dog Bite Laws → · Typical payouts: Indiana Settlement Amounts →