Do You Have to Report a Dog Bite in Mississippi?
Data published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that as many as 4.5 million individuals suffer dog bites annually in the United States. Those same NIH statistics reveal that at least 750,000 incidents are severe enough to warrant a victim seeking medical attention.
If your dog bit someone or you were bitten here in Jackson, would you know if you needed to report that incident?
Mississippi is unique from many other states in that it follows what essentially amounts to a “one free-bite rule.” It supports dog owners in their assumption that their dog is harmless unless it does something to prove it is aggressive or otherwise harmful to others. However, our state’s laws also empower local governments, including counties and municipalities, to decide which codes or ordinances they’ll have for dealing with dangerous dogs.