If a dog bites a person in Louisiana, the dog bite quarantine rule is straightforward: the animal must be confined and observed for at least 10 days after the bite, whether or not it is vaccinated and whether or not the bite was provoked. The requirement comes from the Louisiana Sanitary Code, and it applies to every dog, cat, and ferret that bites a human.1Cornell Law Institute. Louisiana Administrative Code Title 51, III-105 – Human Exposure to Domestic Animal Bites The only alternative is euthanizing the animal and sending its head to a Louisiana Department of Health laboratory for rabies testing. Most owners choose the observation period.
How the 10-Day Observation Works
The observation window exists for a specific reason. If a dog is shedding the rabies virus in its saliva at the moment it bites someone, neurological signs of rabies will appear within 10 days.2Louisiana Department of Health. Protocol for Animal Control and Law Enforcement Agencies A dog that finishes the 10 days healthy was not shedding virus at the time of the bite, and the victim’s medical team can act on that information.
One rule surprises owners: the dog cannot receive a rabies vaccine during the observation period. Vaccine side effects can look like early rabies symptoms, which would defeat the purpose of watching the animal.3Louisiana Department of Health. Title 51 Public Health – Sanitary Code Part III – The Control of Rabies and Other Zoonotic Diseases Any booster the dog is due for waits until the 10 days are up.
If signs consistent with rabies appear during observation, the custodian must report them to the local health authority. A licensed veterinarian or the state public health veterinarian evaluates the animal, and if the signs match rabies, the dog is euthanized and its head sent to a state laboratory for testing.1Cornell Law Institute. Louisiana Administrative Code Title 51, III-105 – Human Exposure to Domestic Animal Bites
Where the Dog Has to Stay
Under Section 111 of the Sanitary Code, the animal must be kept in a cage or otherwise confined so it cannot contact any person or other animal. Tethering the dog to a post or putting it in a chain-link run does not satisfy the rule.4Louisiana Department of Health. Title 51 Public Health – Sanitary Code Part III – Section 111 – Confinement of Animals The custodian can be the owner, a veterinarian, or an animal shelter.
Local animal control decides whether home confinement is allowed. State health department guidance says home observation should be permitted only when animal control can ensure proper conditions.5Louisiana Department of Health. Appropriate Ten-Day Observation in Dogs, Cats or Ferrets That Have Bitten Human Beings in Louisiana When it is not approved, the dog goes to a parish animal control facility or a licensed veterinary clinic for the full 10 days.
Who Reports the Bite
The clearest reporting obligation in Louisiana sits with healthcare providers. Any doctor, nurse, or other medical professional who examines or treats an animal bite must report it to the law enforcement or animal control agency where the bite occurred. The report is due immediately if possible, and no later than 24 hours after treatment.6Justia Law. Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 14, 102.22 – Harboring or Concealing an Animal Which Has Bitten or Inflicted Serious Bodily Injury on a Human
The healthcare provider’s report includes, to the extent available:
- The patient’s name, date of birth, sex, and home and work addresses
- The nature of the bite or injury
- The location of the biting animal and the name and address of any known owner
- The reporting provider’s name and address
Owners have a practical duty to cooperate. The victim or the owner should notify animal control, the police, or the sheriff’s office so the quarantine can begin.7City of Baton Rouge. Dog Regulations
Do Not Hide the Dog
Some owners try to keep the dog out of sight after a bite, hoping to avoid the quarantine. Louisiana treats that as a crime. Intentionally harboring or concealing an animal from law enforcement or animal control after a bite carries a fine of up to $1,000 and up to two years in prison.6Justia Law. Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 14, 102.22 – Harboring or Concealing an Animal Which Has Bitten or Inflicted Serious Bodily Injury on a Human
The offense reaches anyone who knows or has reason to know the animal bit someone and then keeps it away from investigators. That covers the owner, a family member, a neighbor, or anyone else sheltering the dog to prevent the quarantine. Hiding the animal also robs the bite victim of a clean quarantine result, which means the full course of post-exposure treatment continues unnecessarily.
Vaccination Status Affects the Process
Louisiana requires every dog, cat, and ferret over three months old to be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian. The initial series is two shots: the first at three months, and a booster one year later.8Louisiana Department of Health. Title 51 Public Health – Sanitary Code Part III – Section 103 – Mandatory Vaccinations After that, revaccination follows the specific vaccine manufacturer’s schedule.
Current vaccination records give everyone more confidence during a bite investigation and can influence whether animal control approves home confinement. A dog that is overdue for a booster or has no record of a USDA-licensed rabies vaccine is treated as unvaccinated.9Cornell Law Institute. Louisiana Administrative Code Title 51, III-107 – Domestic Animals Bitten by Rabid Animals That can matter well beyond the 10-day observation if the dog itself was recently exposed to another rabid animal.
What the Quarantine Costs
The owner pays for the quarantine. Home confinement, when allowed, avoids boarding fees. When the dog is held at a veterinary clinic or a parish animal control facility, the owner should expect daily boarding charges, an impoundment or pick-up fee, and at least one veterinary evaluation. The totals vary by parish and facility, and 10 days at a boarding rate adds up.
Do not let those charges sit. An owner who fails to retrieve the dog and pay the fees within the required timeframe risks the animal being classified as abandoned, at which point the facility can rehome or otherwise dispose of it. Settling everything before the observation ends is the safest approach.
Medical Care for the Person Bitten
The quarantine protects future public health. It does not treat the person who was bitten. Rabies is nearly always fatal once symptoms begin, so doctors do not wait for the quarantine results when the risk warrants starting post-exposure prophylaxis right away.
Post-exposure treatment has three parts: thorough wound cleaning, a dose of human rabies immune globulin injected around the wound, and a vaccine series given on days 0, 3, 7, and 14 after the bite.10Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Guidance Without insurance, the immune globulin and vaccine series can run roughly $2,500 to $7,000. If the dog completes the 10 days healthy, the treating doctor may decide the remaining doses are unnecessary. That is a clinical call, not a decision the patient should make alone.
What Comes After the Quarantine
The 10-day observation is only one piece of what a bite can trigger. Under Louisiana Civil Code Article 2321, a dog owner is strictly liable for injuries the dog causes, provided the owner could have prevented the harm and the victim did not provoke the animal.11Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Civil Code Article 2321 – Damage Caused by Animals Medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering are all recoverable. Provocation is the main defense, and the owner has the burden of proving it.
A district attorney, sheriff, or animal control officer can also petition a court to declare the dog legally dangerous. A dog that bites and injures a person without provocation meets the definition under Louisiana Revised Statutes 14:102.14.12Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 14, 102.14 – Dangerous Dog A dangerous dog order brings ongoing restrictions: the animal must be kept indoors or in a secure enclosure on the owner’s property, must be leashed and controlled when off-property, and the property must display warning signs. Violating those requirements is a separate offense with a fine of up to $300. A separate finding that a dog is vicious can bar the owner from owning any dog for up to three years.13Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 14, 102.13 – Hearing for Dangerous or Vicious Dog
Insurance is the last piece owners often overlook. Standard homeowners and renters policies typically cover dog bite liability up to the policy limit, but once an insurer learns of a bite, the premium can rise, the specific dog can be excluded from coverage, or the policy can be non-renewed. Owners with a bite on record should confirm their coverage rather than assume it still applies, because damages beyond the policy limit fall on the owner personally.11Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Civil Code Article 2321 – Damage Caused by Animals