If you or someone you know is bitten by a dog or attacked by a dog, immediately do the following:

(1) Call 911 immediately if bitten by a dog;

(2) Get yourself to the hospital as soon as possible;

(3) Make sure you have the name and address of where the dog resides. The hospital staff will contact the dog owner, and request proof of rabies vaccination. If no such proof exists, the hospital will have to give you the appropriate medication/rabies shot.

(4) The hospital has an obligation to contact local Animal Control, who will go to the home where the dog resides, and quarantine the dog for 10 days;

(5) Take photographs of the dog bite injury, and continue to take photographs as the dog bite injury heals;

(6) Contact an experienced dog bite attorney as soon as possible. In Pennsylvania dog bite law is a peculiar area of the law, and you need someone who is well-versed in these types of cases.

(7) If the individual bitten by a dog is a minor, you will want to consult with a pediatric plastic surgeon;

(8) Try to find-out if the dog in question has bitten before, and give that information to your dog bite lawyer;

(9) Get names of any witnesses;

(10) Document ALL of your expenses, so you can get reimbursed from the homeowner’s insurance company for the dog attack.