Pasadena Dog Bite Lawyer

After a dog bite in Pasadena, an insurance adjuster may call before you know what the injury will cost. Our Pasadena dog bite lawyers represent victims, including children, and pursue compensation from the dog owner and the owner’s insurer. 

California law does not require proof that the dog bit anyone before. Call (877) 735-7035 for a free consultation. You pay no attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you.

J&Y Law has recovered tens of millions of dollars for injured Californians. 

Report the Dog Bite to Pasadena Humane

Report a Pasadena bite to Pasadena Humane at (626) 792-7151. The shelter is at 361 S. Raymond Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91105. Los Angeles County Public Health runs bite reporting for most of the county, but it sends bites in Pasadena, Long Beach, and Vernon to separate local agencies. Pasadena Humane also provides animal control for nearby communities, including Altadena, Glendale, and South Pasadena.

Los Angeles County Public Health sets a minimum 10-day observation period for a dog that bites a person, to rule out rabies. The county reports that most biting dogs finish it at the owner’s home. A dog that animal control impounds finishes it in a shelter.

A bite report does not label a dog dangerous. To ask for that, file a separate report with Pasadena Humane. Pasadena Municipal Code Chapter 6.18 regulates vicious, potentially dangerous, and public nuisance dogs.

Ask Pasadena Humane for your report number and a copy of the report. Our guide to how to report a dog bite in Los Angeles County explains the county process and the details to have ready.

Take Six Steps After a Dog Bite

1. Wash the wound for 15 minutes with clean water and soap, and add an antiseptic such as povidone-iodine if you have it, as Los Angeles County Public Health recommends.
2. See a doctor the same day to check for infection, assess rabies risk, and decide on antibiotics. Los Angeles County Public Health recommends a tetanus booster if you have never been vaccinated or are unsure. It also recommends one if your last shot was 10 or more years ago and the wound is clean and minor, or 5 or more years ago and the wound is dirty or major.
3. Get the owner’s information, which California law requires them to give you. Under Penal Code § 398, an owner whose dog breaks a person’s skin must give you their name, address, and phone number within 48 hours, along with the dog’s name, license tag number, and rabies vaccination status.
4. Photograph the injury every day, starting before treatment if you can, so the photos show how the wound changes.
5. Keep torn or bloody clothing unwashed and write down witness names. Ask nearby homes and businesses to save doorbell and security video before it records over.
6. Talk to a lawyer before you give the owner’s insurer a recorded statement.

Know Pasadena’s Leash Rules and Bite Patterns

From January 1, 2022 to February 21, 2024, Pasadena police and fire responded to 53 dog bite incidents, and 25 involved dogs off leash. According to Pasadena Now’s report on city figures, the city documented none in city parks, and most happened in residential areas.

Pasadena Municipal Code Chapter 6.12 requires a dog in a public place to be on a leash of 6 feet or less, held by a competent person. The code exempts a dog inside a car and dogs in a posted off-leash area, such as the one in Viña Vieja Park. The city began strict enforcement in February 2024, with fines up to $500. If a dog hurts someone in an off-leash area, the person responsible must give the injured person the owner’s contact and insurance information. That person must also file a report with the city within five days.

An off-leash dog is evidence of negligence, which helps when a dog knocks you down without biting you.

Homeowners insurance pays many of these claims. Dog bite and other dog-related injury claims cost homeowners insurers $1.86 billion in 2025, according to the Insurance Information Institute and State Farm. California had the most claims of any state, at 2,830. We identify every available policy early, including renters and landlord coverage.

Hold the Dog Owner Liable Under California Law

California Civil Code § 3342 makes a dog owner liable for damages when the dog bites someone in a public place or while the person is lawfully on private property. The owner is liable even if the dog never bit anyone before and even if the owner did not know the dog was dangerous.

“Lawfully on private property” includes people performing a legal duty, such as a mail carrier, and people on the property by express or implied invitation, such as a guest.

Section 3342 applies to bites only. If a dog knocks you down or chases you into a fall, the claim is for negligence, and we show the owner failed to use reasonable care.

A landlord answers for a tenant’s dog only in limited cases. In Uccello v. Laudenslayer (1975) 44 Cal.App.3d 504, a California court held that a landlord owes a duty when the landlord has actual knowledge of the dangerous animal and the right to remove it by retaking possession of the property. Prior bite reports and written complaints to management show that knowledge.

Recover Compensation for the Full Harm

A dog bite claim covers every loss the bite caused:

• Emergency and follow-up medical care, including antibiotics, tetanus shots, and rabies treatment
• Surgery, plastic surgery, and future scar revision
• Therapy for nerve, tendon, or hand injuries
• Counseling for trauma, anxiety, and fear of dogs
• Lost income and reduced ability to work
• Pain, suffering, and scarring
• Out-of-pocket costs

California recorded 48,596 emergency room visits for dog bites in 2022, a record, according to state data reported by KFF Health News. Children and young adults are the age groups most likely to make those visits. California pauses the two-year filing deadline for a child’s own injury claim until the child turns 18, except for claims against public entities and public employees.

Ask a child’s surgeon whether the child will need scar revision or counseling later, and include that future cost in the claim. For severe facial or hand injuries, our Pasadena catastrophic injury lawyers value long-term care.

Get Answers to Common Pasadena Dog Bite Questions

What if the dog belongs to a neighbor or friend?

You can still bring a claim, because homeowners and renters liability policies pay many dog bite claims. We deal with the insurer so you do not have to negotiate with your neighbor.

How long do I have to file a dog bite lawsuit?

Two years from the date of injury under Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1. If a public agency or public employee is involved, a written claim to the agency is due within six months.

What if I do not know whose dog bit me?

Report the bite to Pasadena Humane right away with the dog’s description and the location. Neighbors and doorbell cameras can help identify the owner, and a claim needs an identified owner.

Is a small bite worth a claim?

The answer depends on your medical bills and how much work you missed, plus any infection or scarring. A free consultation shows where your claim stands before you spend anything.

How much does a Pasadena dog bite lawyer cost?

J&Y Law handles dog bite cases on a contingency basis, so you pay nothing upfront and no attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you.

Call J&Y Law About Your Pasadena Dog Bite

Call (877) 735-7035 for a free consultation with a Pasadena personal injury lawyer at J&Y Law. We also represent victims across Los Angeles County through our Los Angeles dog bite lawyers. You pay no attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you.