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Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 112 § 12z and 330 CMR 10.04, healthcare providers must report any bite by a domestic animal to a person within 24 hours, to the Animal Inspector* of the city or town where the bite occurred.

If someone reports the attack, an animal control officer will order you to quarantine your pet for 10 days to check for rabies. This generally means your dog will have to stay inside your house for 10 days.

A dog that bites a person will be checked for rabies and quarantined for ten days. The dog's owner is usually allowed to quarantine the dog in their own home, and the owner must agree to keep the dog away from other people during that time.

Because cats and dogs may harbor rabies, all cat and dog bites should be reported to the animal control section of the local health department as soon as possible.

Many states have a fairly ample statute of limitations, but both Massachusetts and New Hampshire have just a 3-year statute of limitations. This means that you must file your dog bite claim within 3 years of the original incident or you will forfeit your right to bring forward a claim for compensation entirely.

Massachusetts State Law requires a 10-Day rabies quarantine for any dog, cat, or other domesticated mammal which bites or scratches a human or other animal, regardless of vaccination status.

Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 112 § 12z and 330 CMR 10.04, healthcare providers must report any bite by a domestic animal to a person within 24 hours, to the Animal Inspector* of the city or town where the bite occurred.

The Massachusetts Department of Animal Health, Division of Epidemiology makes all decisions regarding humans that have been potentially exposed to rabies through an animal scratch or bite. Any non-domestic animal biting or scratching a human must reported to DPH Epidemiology at 617-983-6800.