When a Dog Bites
La. C.C. art. 2321 — a dog's owner is strictly liable for injuries the owner could have prevented and that the victim did not provoke
Strict liability for dogs. The owner of a dog is strictly liable for injuries to people or property caused by the dog that the owner could have prevented and that did not result from the injured person's provocation.
- For other animals, the owner is answerable only if the owner knew or should have known the animal's behavior would cause damage that reasonable care could have prevented.
- No one may let a dog run at large on unenclosed land or trespass on another's land.
- A dog running loose on a road or public place, or trespassing, may be seized.
A vicious dog is one already found dangerous that, unprovoked, seriously injures or kills a person. Owning one is a crime of up to $500, up to 6 months, or both.
Sources for this section (4)
- La. C.C. art. 2321 — Damage caused by animals; livestock
- La. R.S. 14:102.15 — Unlawful ownership of a vicious dog
- La. R.S. 3:2771 — Dogs not to run at large
- La. R.S. 3:2773 — Dogs as personal property; seizure of dogs running at large or on property fenced as a fox pen; notice to owner; dangerous or vicious dogs
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Louisiana attorney.