Dog bite reportdéclaration de morsure
A dog bite report is the declaration, made to the town hall, of a dog bite, which the owner and any professional who learns of the bite must file, followed by a fifteen-day health surveillance by a vet.
The owner files the report with the town hall of their place of residence. If another person looks after the dog, that person files it. Any professional who learns of the bite in the course of their work, including a vet, must also file it. The official guidance sets no deadline for the report.
Health surveillance lasts fifteen days and includes three visits to the same vet: the first within 24 hours of the bite, the second within seven days at most, and the third on day 15. The vet issues a provisional certificate after the first two visits and a final certificate after the third. Each certificate is made in five copies: three for the owner, one for the person bitten and one for the town hall.
During surveillance, the dog may not be sold, given away, vaccinated against rabies or put down without the vet’s agreement. Missing one of the three visits carries a fine of €135. The behavioural assessment, which applies to categorised dogs, takes place during this period; see categorised dog.
Sources
See also
- Categorised dog A categorised dog is a dog classed as category 1 or category 2 under Article L. 211-12 of the French Rural Code, and keeping one requires a keeping permit and a behavioural assessment.
- Rabies vaccination Rabies vaccination is the injection that protects a dog, cat or ferret against rabies; it is compulsory for categorised dogs in France and is required for an animal to move between EU member states.