Dog Bite & Animal Attack Claims

Strict Liability Under the Animals Act 1971

Direct Answer: Section 2 of the Animals Act 1971 can make an animal's keeper liable for damage it causes without the claimant needing to prove the keeper was negligent — a genuinely different, and in some ways easier, route than an ordinary personal injury claim, provided the statutory conditions are satisfied.

For an animal that isn't a "dangerous species" — which covers ordinary domestic dogs — a three-part test applies. The claimant must show: the damage was of a kind the animal was likely to cause, or which, if caused, was likely to be severe; that likelihood was due to characteristics not normally found in animals of that species (or not normally found except at particular times or in particular circumstances); and the keeper knew of those characteristics. This test was considered by the House of Lords in Mirvahedy v Henley [2003] UKHL 16, which confirmed it can be satisfied by characteristics that are normal for the species in particular circumstances, not only genuinely abnormal ones.

Whether a specific incident meets this test is a fact-specific question — a dog with a known history of aggression is a much clearer case than a first, unexplained incident with no prior warning signs. This is exactly the kind of assessment a solicitor experienced in animal attack claims can help evaluate before you decide how to proceed.

When You're on Someone Else's Property

If you were attacked while lawfully on the keeper's property, an Animals Act claim can run alongside an ordinary occupiers' liability claim under the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957, depending on the circumstances. A solicitor will typically consider both routes rather than relying on only one.

What Compensation Covers

A dog bite or animal attack claim covers general damages for pain, suffering and any resulting scarring or disfigurement, and special damages for your financial losses — medical treatment including any plastic surgery, psychological support if the attack leaves you with a lasting fear of animals, lost earnings, and damaged clothing or property.