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Dangerous Dogs & Dog Bites terms
What happens after a bite: dangerous-dog laws and breed bans, liability and lawsuits, and how bites are prevented.
Breed-specific legislation A law that bans or restricts dogs by breed or appearance, such as pit bull type dogs, rather than by what an individual dog has done. Dangerous dog law A law that lets authorities declare a dog dangerous after an attack or threat and set conditions for its owner, such as an enclosure, muzzle or insurance. One-bite rule An older legal rule under which an owner is liable for a bite only if the owner knew the dog was dangerous, so in practice the first bite was often free. Strict liability for dog bites A legal rule that makes a dog's owner responsible for a bite injury regardless of whether the owner knew the dog was dangerous.