Dog Bites
A.R.S. 11-1025 — the owner is liable whether or not the dog had bitten before
Regardless of the dog's history. The owner of a dog that bites a person in a public place, or lawfully in a private place including the owner's property, is liable for the damages, regardless of the dog's former viciousness or the owner's knowledge of it.
The owner, or whoever is responsible for the dog's care, provides the owner's contact information to the person bitten. A dog's breed may not be considered in deciding whether it is aggressive or vicious or has created liability.
Provocation is a defense, judged by whether a reasonable person would expect the conduct or circumstances to be likely to provoke a dog. A government agency is not liable for a military or police dog's bite while it was defending itself from harassment or assisting in apprehending a suspect, investigating a crime, executing a warrant, or defending an officer or another person.
Sources for this section (2)
- A.R.S. 11-1025 — Liability for dog bites
- A.R.S. 11-1027 — Reasonable provocation as defense
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Arizona attorney.