Portland Dog Bite Lawyer

Mixed Statute

Multnomah County Animal Services (503-988-7387) handles bite reports, quarantine, and dangerous dog proceedings for the City of Portland and unincorporated Multnomah County. All dog bites must be reported, and the dog is quarantined for ten days for rabies observation. The animal control file is a public record under Oregon's public records law and should be requested in writing — it documents the dog's identity, vaccination status, the owner's or possessor's information, and any prior complaints.

Oregon's strict liability statute under ORS 31.360 applies throughout Portland regardless of the dog's breed or the owner's prior knowledge — the 'owner or possessor' standard means the registered owner and anyone in actual possession of the dog at the time of the attack (a dog walker, boarder, or pet sitter) are both directly liable. Portland's density of dog-friendly apartments, commercial dog-walking services, and dog parks creates recurring possessor liability scenarios.

Portland's urban environment — dense housing, extensive trail systems, and neighborhood parks — generates a distinctive pattern of dog bite locations. Leash violations in off-leash areas, bites in shared building entrances, and attacks on cyclists and joggers on trail corridors (Forest Park, the Springwater Corridor) are common Portland dog bite fact patterns. Oregon's ORS 609.205 breed preemption means breed-specific defenses are unavailable, and the § 31.360 analysis focuses entirely on what the dog did and what the victim was doing.

Report a Portland dog bite to Multnomah County Animal Services at (503) 988-7387. Request the county animal control records for the dog's address in writing — if the file shows prior complaints, those strengthen any concurrent negligence theories alongside the ORS 31.360 strict liability claim. If the bite happened while a dog walker or boarding facility had the dog, identify that business immediately — ORS 31.360's possessor liability runs against them on the same strict liability terms as the registered owner, and a commercial policy typically carries higher limits.

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