Des Moines Dog Bite Lawyer

Strict Liability

Des Moines Animal Care Services operates within the Police Department and responds to reports of dangerous animals, animal disturbances, and incidents of bites or attacks. Reports go to (515) 283-4811, or 911 in an emergency. Iowa separately requires physicians to report dog bites to animal control authorities, so a bite that receives medical treatment generates an official record whether or not the victim files one.

That dual reporting is more useful than it might sound. The physician report documents the timeline and severity from a third party at the outset. The animal control report is where your own account of what happened gets recorded — and the two together produce a fuller record than either alone.

Iowa's liability rule makes the reporting less adversarial than in most states. Because Iowa courts have held contributory negligence is not a defense to a claim under Iowa Code § 351.28, the usual pressure to defend your own conduct in an animal control interview is lower here. The statutory escape is narrow — an unlawful act that directly contributed to the injury — so ordinary details about how you approached the dog do not carry the risk they would in a comparative fault state.

Report a Des Moines bite to Animal Care Services within the Police Department on (515) 283-4811, or 911 in an emergency. Iowa also requires physicians to report dog bites, so a treated bite generates a second official record independently. Worth knowing for the conversation with an insurer: Iowa courts have held contributory negligence is not a defense to a § 351.28 claim, so an adjuster arguing you were careless may be applying a standard Iowa does not recognise for this claim.

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