There are 250,000 dog bites reported in France per year, including cases of fatal attacks on children, with owners of dogs that bite at risk of up to 10 years in prison, and a fine of €150,000.
Reports from veterinary services and anti-rabies centres also show that 86% of bites come from dogs that are known to the victim (or their family).
Are there any dog breed restrictions in France?
Yes. Some breeds are considered to be dangerous. These include dogs such as American Staffordshire Terriers, Pit Bulls, and guard and defence dogs such as Rottweilers.
Owners must have a licence to own one of these breeds.
What leads to dog bites?
A study by health and environmental agency ANSES recently found that dogs most at risk of biting are not necessarily the breeds considered to be ‘dangerous’.
In fact, any breed of dog can bite, depending on its upbringing, age, state of health, well-being, and interaction history with humans.
Dogs typically do not bite due to outright or unprovoked aggression; they may bite out of fear, pain, perceived provocation; or a misguided attempt to protect itself, its ‘territory’ or home, or owner.
What are dog owner responsibilities?
A dog owner is legally responsible for the actions of their dog, in all cases.
This means that an owner is legally liable in the event of a bite and must compensate the victim for the damage suffered, as stated in Article 1243 of the code Civil.
“The owner of an animal…is liable for the damage caused by the animal, whether the animal was in his care, or had wandered off or escaped,” it states.
If any dog bites, the dog owner is required to report the bite to the local mairie, and to have the dog monitored by a veterinary surgeon to check that it is not carrying the rabies virus. They must also have the dog placed under behavioural assessment by a vet, who will assess the potential danger it may represent.
If the bite incident is found to be due to negligence on the part of the owner, the victim can lodge a complaint. If the victim dies as a result of the bite, the owner can be prosecuted, including for the crime of manslaughter.
The public prosecutor can also decide to prosecute the owner. If the prosecutor decides that a trial should take place, it will be held in a criminal court. If found guilty, the owner risks up to five years in prison, and a fine of €75,000. In some cases, the sentence can be as much as 10 years in prison, and a fine of €150,000.
If the owner is not insured, the victim can take the case to the court of law with jurisdiction over compensation for bodily injury.
In contrast, if the bite victim is found to have committed an offence or acted in a way that provoked the animal to attack, the owner is not held responsible, the Service Public website states.
What should I do if I am (or someone I know is) a victim of a bite?
The Service Public website advises that a dog bite can lead to infections and advises victims to:
- Disinfect the wound and monitor its appearance in the hours and days that follow.
Consult a doctor or go to a hospital emergency unit, especially if:
Your vaccination against tetanus is not up to date
The wounds are large or are accompanied by other symptoms (pain, swelling, lymph nodes, infection, etc.)
You are immunocompromised (due to treatment, HIV, etc.) or have diabetes
You have been bitten by a dog from a foreign country that may have been infected with rabies.
Report the bite to your CPAM (health insurance fund), as they can then take action against the dog owner to claim recours contre tiers (the costs for your care). You can do this on your Ameli.fr account, on the onmablesse.fr website, by telephone, or by post.
The Service Public also states: “Remember to inform your doctor and other healthcare professionals (pharmacist, physiotherapist, nurse, etc.) that you are consulting them following a dog bite. They will tick the box Accident caused by a third party on your treatment form and indicate the date of the event.”
If the dog owner refuses to be identified, to claim on their insurance, or is not insured, you can take the case to the court for bodily injury charges. In this case, a lawyer is compulsory. If you cannot afford one, you can apply for legal aid.
How can I prevent a dog bite?
Dog trainer and behaviourist Caroline Dumont advised actu.fr:
Never leave a child alone with a dog, whatever its character. Never let a child touch a dog’s ears, feet, or tail in an aggressive or unexpected way.
Avoid towering over a dog, even if you are doing so gently or with a view to stroke it nicely.
Learn to recognise certain signals sent by a dog.
A dog’s posture, attitude and facial expressions can indicate that the dog is in distress and provide (sometimes very subtle) clues that it may be about to bite.
These include:
Appearing to go still or tense
Hair standing on end
Starting to ‘stare’
Lowering its ears
Tucking its tail between its legs
Licking its nose
Yawning repeatedly
Baring its teeth or growling. This is often the final stage before biting, and indicates that the dog feels very threatened, and may be a danger.
A surprised or frightened animal can also react unpredictably.
“When faced with an aggressive animal, avoid running or shouting, stay calm and adopt a sideways posture, arms at your sides, without looking the dog in the eye,” said Ms Dumont.
High profile recent dog bites in France
There have been a number of severe dog bites reported in France in recent weeks and months.
On February 2, 2025, a Malinois shepherd fatally attacked an 11-month-old baby in Questembert (Morbihan).
In January 2025, a resident in Orne went on trial for keeping an unsterilised attack dog, despite having a criminal record that banned him from being able to keep such a dog. The defendant was charged €200 and the dog euthanised.
Four months previously, a one-year-old baby was attacked by an American bully-type dog while he was at his parents' home in Villers-Saint-Paul (Oise), causing “serious injuries to the child's face”. The child's father, who owned the animal, admitted that he did not have the necessary authorisation to keep this type of dog.
On September 14, 2024, a woman came across a Malinois in Rivoli Park, in La Roche-sur-Yon (Vendée). The animal started to bark at her, so she “stopped, didn't move, stayed calm and called the owner,” she told Actu.fr. She later said that the owner did not apologise after the dog bit the woman on the forearm, and simply said “the dog had bitten me because I was wearing a hood”. It was found that this dog had attacked passers by previously.
On August 18, 2024, an eight-year-old child was attacked by a pit bull in Grandvilliers (Oise). The animal was reportedly not on a lead, muzzled, vaccinated or insured. The owner was sentenced to 24 months in prison.
On March 20, 2024, a woman and her four-year-old son (named Lilio) were attacked by two loose dogs - a Rottweiler and a Doberman - while walking their puppy in a hamlet in Besneville (Manche). The young boy received a bite to his back, and the mother to her thigh.
“Lilio was traumatised by the attack,” said the mother, Aurélie, to La Presse de la Manche. “He is not sleeping well. He is asking me to move. Since the attack he has been receiving psychological counselling. He is now afraid of dogs.
