When a Dog Bites
510 ILCS 5/16 — the owner is liable for the full injury when the dog attacks without provocation
If a dog or other animal, without provocation, attacks, attempts to attack, or injures a person who is behaving peaceably in a place they may lawfully be, the owner is liable in civil damages for the full amount of the injury it caused.
Who handles this in Illinois: legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the Illinois directory.
Whether there was provocation, and whether the injured person was lawfully where they were, are questions of fact in the particular case.
Sources for this section (1)
- 510 ILCS 5/16 — Animal attacks or injuries
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Illinois attorney.