Arkansas Dangerous Dog Law

What happens in the first ten days?

Arkansas treats a dog bite first as a rabies question. Anyone who knows of the bite, including the person bitten, their family, the treating physician and any veterinarian involved, must notify the health authorities promptly¹⁵. The Department of Health asks people to call the local county health unit, animal control or the police¹³.

The dog is then confined for 10 days, counted from the day of the bite¹⁵¹⁴. Under the Department of Health's rabies rules, effective November 28, 2024, an owner who can show a current rabies vaccination may keep the dog confined and observed at home¹⁴. A dog that is not vaccinated, or whose status is unknown, is ordered into a public pound or a licensed veterinary hospital. The alternative is euthanasia and rabies testing at the Public Health Laboratory¹⁴. A vet may treat the dog during the hold but may not give it a rabies shot until the hold ends. An unvaccinated dog that stays healthy is vaccinated before release¹⁴.

Three things are unlawful during this period¹⁵:

• selling, giving away, moving or otherwise disposing of the dog before the health authorities release it;
• refusing to follow the health authority's written or printed instructions;
• refusing to report the bite.

The owner pays every cost of confinement, veterinary care and transport¹⁴. If the biting dog is a stray, § 20-19-307 puts the confinement expense on the person bitten, or on the head of the family if a child was bitten¹⁵. The state rules say a biting stray, or a dog whose owner cannot be found, is euthanized and tested¹⁴.

Does Arkansas have a dangerous-dog law?

Not at the state level. Arkansas is one of the few states with no statute that defines a dangerous or vicious dog, sets a hearing, or imposes duties on the owner of a declared dog¹⁵. The legislature had a chance in 2025. HB 1992 would have required a certificate of registration for dangerous and vicious dogs. Its sponsor withdrew it on April 10, 2025, and it never became law¹⁷.

That leaves the job to cities and counties. State law expressly keeps their power to stop dogs and other animals from running at large and to regulate them further¹⁵. In practice the local ordinance decides:

• who can start a dangerous-dog case (animal control, police, the person bitten);
• whether there is a hearing, before whom, and how fast you must appeal;
• what a declared owner must do: enclosure, leash and muzzle, signs, registration fees or insurance;
• when the dog can be impounded or destroyed.

Read the code of the city where the bite happened, or the county code if it was outside city limits. Rules in Little Rock, Fayetteville and a rural county can differ sharply.

Can the dog be put down?

No state statute orders a biting dog destroyed after a hearing. The two state routes to euthanasia both come from rabies control. A dog may be euthanized and tested instead of serving the 10-day hold, and a biting stray or a dog with no traceable owner is euthanized and tested¹⁴. Any other order to destroy a dog comes from a local ordinance, and the appeal rights are whatever that ordinance and the local courts provide.

Separately, a person may kill a dog that has killed or is about to kill or injure livestock, without liability to the owner, and the owner owes the full value of the animals lost; a court may treble those damages¹⁵.

Can the owner be charged with a crime?

Arkansas has no crime written for a dog attack on a person¹⁷. The state-law charges available are general ones. Negligent homicide covers anyone who negligently causes another person's death; outside the vehicle and weapon cases it is a Class A misdemeanor¹⁸. Breaking the reporting, transfer or instruction rules is a violation with a fine of $5 to $25 per offense¹⁵, and the rabies rules add civil fines of up to $1,000 per violation¹⁴. City ordinances often carry their own fines and jail terms for an at-large or dangerous dog.

Are some breeds banned?

They can be, locally. No Arkansas statute stops a city or county from regulating dogs by breed. HB 1519, which would have barred breed-based rules, died in the House when the 2023 session ended¹⁶. Before buying or moving with a dog, check the local code.

What if the dog bites again?

State law treats each bite the same way: a report and a 10-day hold¹⁵. The second bite matters most in a civil suit. Once an owner knows the dog has bitten or shown vicious tendencies, the owner is strictly liable for later injuries, even if the dog escapes despite real precautions¹. Owners answer to the person bitten in a civil case; see Arkansas dog bite law and my dog bit someone.

Rules for a declared dog in Arkansas

Arkansas rules in brief

Reporting. Arkansas makes bite reporting mandatory: it is unlawful for the person bitten, their family, the treating physician or a veterinarian who knows of a bite to refuse to notify the health authorities promptly¹⁵. The Department of Health asks you to report to the local county health unit, animal control or the police¹³. Ignoring the health authority's written instructions is also unlawful, and the rabies rules allow civil fines of up to $1,000 per violation¹⁵¹⁴.

Euthanasia. No Arkansas statute sets a dangerous-dog hearing or orders a biting dog destroyed; that is left to city and county ordinances¹⁵¹⁷. Under state rabies rules, a biting stray or a dog whose owner cannot be found is euthanized and tested, and an unvaccinated biter may be euthanized and tested instead of confined¹⁴.

Criminal penalties. Arkansas has no crime written for dog attacks¹⁷. A prosecutor could charge negligent homicide if an owner negligently causes a death, a Class A misdemeanor¹⁸. Breaking bite-reporting or quarantine rules is a violation fined $5 to $25 per offense¹⁵.

Breed rules. No Arkansas statute bars breed-specific city or county laws; HB 1519, which would have banned them, died in the House in 2023¹⁶.

Compare states: dangerous dog laws by state, bite quarantine rules, euthanasia after a bite. If your dog bit someone, start with what happens next.

Sources

1. Strange v. Stovall, 261 Ark. 53, 546 S.W.2d 421 (1977), Arkansas Supreme Court. Checked 17 October 2026.
2. Hamby v. Haskins, 275 Ark. 385, 630 S.W.2d 37 (1982), Arkansas Supreme Court. Checked 17 October 2026.
3. Bradley v. Hendricks, 251 Ark. 733, 474 S.W.2d 677 (1972), Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School. Checked 17 October 2026.
4. Bolstad v. Pergeson, 305 Ark. 163, 806 S.W.2d 377 (1991), Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School. Checked 17 October 2026.
5. Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105 (three-year limitation), Justia (Arkansas Code). Checked 17 October 2026.
6. Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-116 (persons under disability), Justia (Arkansas Code). Checked 17 October 2026.
7. Ark. Code Ann. § 9-25-101 (age of majority), Justia (Arkansas Code). Checked 17 October 2026.
8. Ark. Code Ann. § 16-64-122 (comparative fault), Justia (Arkansas Code). Checked 17 October 2026.
9. Mills v. Finch, 2010 Ark. App. 199, Arkansas Court of Appeals. Checked 17 October 2026.
10. Bryant v. Putnam, 322 Ark. 284, 908 S.W.2d 338 (1995), Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School. Checked 17 October 2026.
11. Ark. Code Ann. § 16-55-206 (punitive damages standard), Justia (Arkansas Code). Checked 17 October 2026.
12. Bayer CropScience LP v. Schafer, 2011 Ark. 518, Arkansas Supreme Court. Checked 17 October 2026.
13. What Should You Do if an Animal Bites You?, Arkansas Department of Health. Checked 17 October 2026.
14. Rules Pertaining to Rabies Control, 007.49.24 Ark. Code R. 001 (effective Nov. 28, 2024), Legal Information Institute (Arkansas Administrative Code). Checked 17 October 2026.
15. Arkansas dog laws: Ark. Code Ann. §§ 20-19-102 and 20-19-301 to -307, Animal Legal & Historical Center, Michigan State University College of Law. Checked 17 October 2026.
16. HB 1519 (2023): To prohibit municipalities from enacting breed-specific regulations for animals, Arkansas State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
17. HB 1992 (2025): To require a certificate of registration for dangerous dogs and vicious dogs, Arkansas State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
18. Ark. Code Ann. § 5-10-105 (negligent homicide), Justia (Arkansas Code). Checked 17 October 2026.
19. Courtney v. First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas, 300 Ark. 498, 780 S.W.2d 536 (1989), Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School. Checked 17 October 2026.