Dog Bite Law
In New Jersey

Dog bites in New Jersey are covered by New Jersey Statutes  section 4:19-16. The statute makes the dog's owner liable for any dog bite injuries that occur when the person bitten is in a private place or lawfully in a public place, regardless of any prior indications of viciousness of the dog, or the owners' knowledge of any former viciousness.

New Jersey's dog bite statute is a "strict liability" statute. This means that a biting dog's owner is liable for injuries caused by the dog bite, even if he or she used reasonable care to restrain the dog or to protect or warn others. In other words, when a person who is bitten by a dog in New Jersey, he or she does not need to prove that the dog's owner was careless or negligent. All that needs to be proven is that the bite occurred.

Any domestic animal that scratches or bites a human in the State of New Jersey must be placed in a 10 day quarantine at the owner’s expense. At the end of the 10 days the Animal Control Officer or Health Officer shall evaluate the animal and determine if the animal is healthy.