Q34: I am a postman/milkman/charity collector etc. and when I was delivering to a house a dog bit me when I was in their garden, what action can I take?

If the bite has broken the skin, you should clean the wound immediately by running warm tap water over it for a couple of minutes. You should then seek immediate medical attention (further information on treating animal bites can be found in Related Information).

If you are attacked by a dog or are in fear of being attacked whilst on a property, and the person in charge had no proper control of it then the dog could be said to be dangerously out of control. Q653 provides further information on this.

You need to report the incident to the police who will carry out an investigation. The courts have the power to order that the dog is kept under proper control by enforcing the owner to take reasonable measures such as muzzling or neutering, or in certain cases they may be destroyed.