Alaska Dog Bite Law

How dog bite liability works in Alaska

Alaska is one of the few states whose statute book says almost nothing about a dog owner's civil liability. Title 3 lets anyone kill a "vicious or mad dog running at large" and defines a vicious dog as one that has ever bitten or attacked a person unprovoked^14,15. It does not say who pays for the bite. That question is left to the courts.

The Alaska Supreme Court stated the rule in Hale v. O'Neill (1971), a case about a horse. An owner whose domestic animal has a dangerous tendency the owner "knew or should have known" of is liable "regardless of fault" for the injury that tendency causes¹. Without that knowledge, you must prove ordinary negligence, such as letting a dog run loose against a leash ordinance². Few dog bite cases reach Alaska's appellate courts. The most detailed opinion on how these rules fit together is a 1994 federal decision from Anchorage, Sinclair v. Okata².

Two features set Alaska apart from its nearest neighbor, Washington, which has a bite statute. Pure comparative fault reaches even a known-dangerous-dog claim, because the statute counts strict liability as "fault"^7,8. And a statute of repose cuts off most injury claims 10 years after the bite, even for a young child⁶. Dangerous-dog rules come from cities and boroughs, not the state, so the owner's side depends on where the bite happened. See the national table and the one-bite rule guide for how Alaska compares.

No dog bite statute: the one-bite rule

Alaska has no statute that makes a dog's owner automatically liable for a bite. Claims rest on the common law, described below. See the one-bite rule for how it compares with the states that have a statute.

Proving the owner knew or was careless

Under Hale v. O'Neill, you must show that the owner knew or should have known the animal had a dangerous tendency and that this tendency caused your injury¹. In Sinclair v. Okata, the federal court predicted that Alaska would follow the Restatement: the tendency must be abnormal for dogs, and a playful habit can count as well as a vicious one². Owners also owe a general duty of reasonable care to keep their dogs from harming others. Sinclair held that breaking Anchorage's restraint ordinance, AMC 17.10.020(A), is negligence per se². AS 03.55.020 calls a dog "vicious" after one unprovoked bite, but only for the kill-at-large rule in AS 03.55.010; no appellate court has decided whether it proves the owner's knowledge in a civil case^15,14.

Defenses owners raise

Assumption of risk

Knowingly exposing yourself to a dangerous animal is not a separate defense. Hale treated it as contributory negligence, which then barred recovery¹. Since Alaska adopted comparative fault, "unreasonable assumption of risk" is part of the statutory definition of fault and only reduces the award^8,7.

Provocation

No Alaska statute makes provocation a complete defense to a civil claim. Teasing or striking the dog is weighed as the victim's fault and reduces damages by its percentage⁷. In Sinclair, the defendants cited no case charging a mother's carelessness to her bitten two-year-old, and the court did not do so².

Trespassing

Alaska abolished the old trespasser, licensee and invitee categories in Webb v. City & Borough of Sitka (1977). A landowner owes everyone reasonable care under the circumstances¹³. Being on the property without permission no longer decides the claim by itself, but it bears on what was foreseeable and on the victim's own fault^13,7.

Police dogs

No state statute protects police dog handlers from civil bite claims. In Anchorage, a dog trained to attack and acting under a law enforcement unit's supervision may be exempted from a dangerous-animal classification²¹.

Shared fault

Pure comparative fault (AS 09.17.060; AS 09.17.080).

Your own fault "diminishes proportionately" the award "but does not bar recovery"⁷. The Supreme Court first adopted pure comparative negligence in Kaatz v. State (1975), and the legislature later wrote it into statute^10,7. Fault includes conduct that subjects a person to strict tort liability, so a known-dangerous-dog claim is reduced in the same way as a negligence claim^8,2. Each defendant pays only its own percentage of the damages⁹.

How the five fault systems compare: provocation, trespass and shared fault.

Alaska dog bite statute of limitations

2 years (AS 09.10.070(a))

You must file a personal-injury suit within two years of the bite³. A claim for injury to personal property also has a two-year limit³. Separately, a statute of repose bars most injury suits filed more than 10 years after the last act that caused the injury, unless an exception applies, such as an intentional act or gross negligence⁶.

Children. A child's two years do not begin until age 18⁴. In Sands v. Green (2007), the Alaska Supreme Court struck down the 1997 rule that cut tolling off at age 8⁵. The 10-year repose statute still applies "notwithstanding the disability of minority", so a child's claim generally expires at age 20 or 10 years after the bite, whichever comes first⁶.

Work out your own date with the dog bite claim checker, or compare deadlines in every state.

Damages

You can recover medical costs, lost earnings and noneconomic losses such as pain, disfigurement and loss of enjoyment of life. Noneconomic damages are capped at $400,000 or $8,000 times your life expectancy in years, whichever is greater. For severe permanent physical impairment or severe disfigurement, the cap rises to $1,000,000 or $25,000 times life expectancy¹¹. Economic losses are not capped. Punitive damages require clear and convincing proof of outrageous conduct or reckless indifference. They are usually capped at the greater of three times compensatory damages or $500,000, and half goes to the state's general fund¹². Alaska has no double-damages rule for dog bites.

Landlords and property owners

No published Alaska appellate decision we found sets out when a landlord is liable for a tenant's dog, and no statute addresses it. The general premises rule comes from Webb v. City & Borough of Sitka (1977): an owner or occupier of land must use reasonable care under the circumstances toward people on it¹³. A claim against a landlord would turn on that duty, and on what the landlord knew about the dog and could do about it. That question remains open in Alaska. See the landlord liability guide for how other states decide it.

Insurance

As of October 2026, we found no Alaska statute or insurance regulation limiting insurers' use of dog breed in homeowners or renters underwriting. State law requires no liability insurance for dogs that have bitten. Anchorage lets its chief animal control officer require a $100,000 liability policy for a dog classified at level three or four²¹.

More on coverage, breed exclusions and renters policies: dog bite insurance.

Alaska's kill-at-large statutes

Instead of a bite-liability statute, Alaska's dog law in Title 3 lets private people act. Under AS 03.55.010, "any person may lawfully kill any vicious or mad dog running at large"¹⁴. AS 03.55.020 then sets a low bar for "vicious": any dog that "when unprovoked has ever bitten or attacked a human being"¹⁵. A separate section lets anyone kill a dog at large that habitually harasses deer, reindeer, livestock or birds. That section applies only after the owner, if known, has been notified and given a chance to restrain it¹⁶. These rules say when killing a dog is lawful. They do not make the owner pay for a bite, which is why civil claims still run on Hale v. O'Neill¹. If your dog was attacked, see dog attacked my dog.

Bite reports and quarantine

Alaska has no statewide bite-reporting rule. The Department of Health says dog bites "are not reported to one statewide office" but that towns or cities may require a report to local animal control¹⁹. Animal bites are not on the state list of conditions doctors must report; rabies is, immediately¹⁸. In Anchorage, the owner, the bitten person and the treating doctor must each promptly notify Animal Care and Control^20,27.

State regulation requires a vaccinated dog that bites a person to be observed for 10 days. A sick or stray dog may be euthanized at once and tested for rabies, and an unvaccinated dog that bites may be euthanized and tested¹⁷. The regulation does not say where the dog is held; local rules decide. In Anchorage, the health department sets 10 to 14 days. A vaccinated dog may usually stay at home, leashed and muzzled outdoors. An unvaccinated dog goes to the shelter or a veterinary clinic, and the owner pays all costs²⁰.

Dangerous-dog hearings, euthanasia orders and criminal penalties are covered on Alaska dangerous dog law.

Questions about Alaska dog bite law

Is Alaska a one-bite state?

Yes. No Alaska statute makes owners liable for every bite. Under Hale v. O'Neill, you must show the owner knew or should have known of the dog's dangerous tendency, or else prove ordinary negligence^1,2. A prior bite is the usual proof of knowledge. A federal court has predicted that Alaska would also count dangerous behavior in play that the owner knew of².

How long do I have to sue after a dog bite in Alaska?

Two years from the bite for an adult³. For a child, the two years start at age 18. The 10-year statute of repose still applies, so most children's claims end at age 20 or 10 years after the bite, whichever is earlier^4,5,6.

Can I still recover if I was partly at fault?

Yes. Alaska's pure comparative fault rule reduces your award by your percentage of fault and never bars it, even if you were mostly to blame⁷. This applies to known-dangerous-dog claims too⁸.

Does my dog have to be put down after it bites someone in Alaska?

Not under state law, unless the dog is sick, a stray or unvaccinated, in which case it may be euthanized for rabies testing¹⁷. Local codes can go further. Anchorage requires euthanasia only for level five behavior, such as seriously injuring or killing a person²¹. Dillingham's ordinance requires euthanasia after any unprovoked bite, a rule the Supreme Court upheld in 2008²³.

Who do I report a dog bite to in Alaska?

There is no statewide bite registry. Report to the local animal control agency or police where the bite happened¹⁹. In Anchorage, call Animal Care and Control at 343-8119²⁷.

Official contacts

Sources

1. Hale v. O'Neill, 492 P.2d 101 (Alaska 1971), Supreme Court of Alaska (CourtListener copy). Checked 17 October 2026.
2. Sinclair v. Okata, 874 F. Supp. 1051 (D. Alaska 1994), U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska (CourtListener copy). Checked 17 October 2026.
3. Alaska Statutes § 09.10.070 (two-year limit for personal injury), Alaska State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
4. Alaska Statutes § 09.10.140 (disabilities of minority and incompetency), Alaska State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
5. Sands ex rel. Sands v. Green, 156 P.3d 1130 (Alaska 2007), Supreme Court of Alaska (CourtListener copy). Checked 17 October 2026.
6. Alaska Statutes § 09.10.055 (statute of repose of 10 years), Alaska State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
7. Alaska Statutes § 09.17.060 (effect of contributory fault), Alaska State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
8. Alaska Statutes § 09.17.900 (definition of fault), Alaska State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
9. Alaska Statutes § 09.17.080 (apportionment of damages), Alaska State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
10. Kaatz v. State, 540 P.2d 1037 (Alaska 1975), Supreme Court of Alaska (CourtListener copy). Checked 17 October 2026.
11. Alaska Statutes § 09.17.010 (noneconomic damages), Alaska State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
12. Alaska Statutes § 09.17.020 (punitive damages), Alaska State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
13. Webb v. City & Borough of Sitka, 561 P.2d 731 (Alaska 1977), Supreme Court of Alaska (CourtListener copy). Checked 17 October 2026.
14. Alaska Statutes § 03.55.010 (killing of vicious or mad dog authorized), Alaska State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
15. Alaska Statutes § 03.55.020 (vicious dogs), Alaska State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
16. Alaska Statutes § 03.55.030 (dogs that annoy or bite animals or birds), Alaska State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
17. 7 AAC 27.022, Rabies vaccination and quarantine, Alaska Administrative Code (Alaska State Legislature). Checked 17 October 2026.
18. 7 AAC 27.005, Reporting by health care providers, Alaska Administrative Code (Alaska State Legislature). Checked 17 October 2026.
19. Rabies, Alaska Department of Health, Section of Epidemiology. Checked 17 October 2026.
20. Anchorage Municipal Code ch. 17.30, Rabies Control, Immunization, and Quarantine Procedures, Municipality of Anchorage (eCode360). Checked 17 October 2026.
21. Anchorage Municipal Code ch. 17.40, Regulation of Animal Behavior, Municipality of Anchorage (eCode360). Checked 17 October 2026.
22. West v. Municipality of Anchorage, 174 P.3d 224 (Alaska 2007), Supreme Court of Alaska (CourtListener copy). Checked 17 October 2026.
23. Haggblom v. City of Dillingham, 191 P.3d 991 (Alaska 2008), Supreme Court of Alaska (CourtListener copy). Checked 17 October 2026.
24. Alaska Statutes § 29.35.210 (second class borough powers), Alaska State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
25. Alaska Statutes § 11.41.250 (reckless endangerment), Alaska State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
26. Alaska Statutes § 11.41.130 (criminally negligent homicide), Alaska State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
27. Animal Bites, Municipality of Anchorage, Animal Care and Control. Checked 17 October 2026.