Bitten by a Dog in Madison?

Dog bites can cause serious injuries — deep puncture wounds, torn muscle and tissue, broken bones (especially in hand and arm bites), nerve damage, and severe infections. Even bites that look minor on the surface can drive bacteria deep into tissue, leading to dangerous infections if not treated quickly.

Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and warm water. Then get to a doctor or urgent care facility as soon as possible. If the bite is severe — significant bleeding, facial injuries, injuries to a child, or potential broken bones — call 911 or go to the emergency room.

Madison medical options for dog bite treatment include UW Hospital and Clinics (for severe injuries requiring surgery or reconstruction), SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital (700 S. Brooks Street), and multiple urgent care clinics throughout Dane County for less severe bites. Children’s bites may be treated at American Family Children’s Hospital, part of UW Health.

Dog bites carry a serious risk of infection, including from bacteria like Pasteurella, Staphylococcus, and in rare cases, rabies. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics as a preventive measure and will assess whether rabies post-exposure prophylaxis is needed.

Report every dog bite in Dane County to Public Health Madison & Dane County Animal Services. Call (608) 255-2345 and tell them you’re reporting an animal bite. An Animal Services officer will follow up.

Animal Services responded to over 600 dog bites in a recent year in the Madison and Dane County area. Reporting serves several important purposes: it triggers a mandatory 10-day quarantine of the dog to check for rabies, it creates an official record of the bite (important for your claim), and it establishes whether the dog has bitten before — which matters significantly under Wisconsin law.

If you don’t know the dog or its owner, reporting is especially urgent. You need to find out whether the dog is up to date on rabies vaccinations. If the dog can’t be identified, your doctor may recommend rabies post-exposure treatment as a precaution.

If you don’t already know, get the dog owner’s full name, address, and phone number. Ask if the dog is current on its rabies vaccination. If possible, get the veterinarian’s name and the dog’s license number.

If the bite occurred while you were walking, jogging, or biking in a Madison neighborhood — a common scenario — and neither you nor the owner exchanged information, contact Animal Services immediately. They can help track down the dog and owner.

Also get contact information from any witnesses. Their testimony about the circumstances of the bite — whether the dog was leashed, whether the owner was present, whether the dog was provoked — can be important evidence.

Photograph your injuries immediately and at regular intervals as they heal (or worsen). Dog bites often look worse after 24–48 hours as bruising, swelling, and infection develop. Photograph torn or bloody clothing as well.

Keep records of all medical treatment: emergency room visits, doctor appointments, prescriptions (especially antibiotics), any surgery or reconstruction needed, physical therapy, and counseling or therapy if the attack caused psychological trauma (anxiety, fear of dogs, PTSD symptoms — especially common in children).

Wisconsin has one of the strongest dog bite laws in the country. Under Wis. Stat. § 174.02, a dog owner is strictly liable for injuries caused by their dog. This means you do not need to prove the owner was negligent or that they knew the dog was dangerous. If their dog bit you, they are liable. Period.

Even more powerful: if the dog has previously bitten someone — even once — the owner is liable for double damages on any subsequent bite. This "double damages" provision makes Wisconsin’s dog bite law particularly favorable to bite victims.

Wis. Stat. § 174.02 applies regardless of whether the bite occurred on public or private property, and regardless of whether the dog was leashed. The owner’s strict liability covers injuries caused by the dog’s biting.

Wisconsin’s modified comparative negligence rule (Wis. Stat. § 895.045) still applies. If you provoked the dog or were trespassing, your damages may be reduced by your percentage of fault — and eliminated if you are 51% or more at fault.

The dog owner may offer to pay your medical bills, apologize, or promise to keep the dog contained. While well-intentioned, settling directly often means you settle for far less than your claim is worth — especially if your injuries develop complications, require surgery, or cause lasting scarring or psychological trauma.

If the dog owner has homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, that policy may cover dog bite liability. The insurance company’s adjuster will contact you. As always, do not give a recorded statement without consulting an attorney.

Under Wis. Stat. § 893.54, you have three years from the date of the bite to file a personal injury lawsuit. For children bitten by dogs, a parent or guardian files on the child’s behalf, and the timeline may be different in some circumstances.

If the bite occurred on government property or involved a government-owned dog (such as a police K-9), shorter notice deadlines may apply for claims against government entities.

Dog bite cases may seem straightforward — especially under Wisconsin’s strict liability law — but insurance companies still aggressively defend these claims. They may argue you provoked the dog, that you were trespassing, or that your injuries aren’t as serious as claimed.

An experienced attorney can determine whether double damages apply (prior bite history), calculate the full value of your claim including future treatment and scarring, negotiate with the owner’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, and pursue the case in Dane County Circuit Court if needed.

Most personal injury attorneys offer free consultations and work on contingency.