Dog Bites in La Jolla

Who owns the dog, where the bite happened, and what insurance the owner carries. Identifying the owner and their homeowners or renters insurer is the first practical step, and it is easier while witnesses and neighbours are still easy to reach. Photographs of the wounds over time, the treating records, and any scarring evaluation follow.

We also note whether the person bitten was in a public place or lawfully on private property, because section 3342 applies in those settings, and whether a bite report was made to the local animal services agency.

In the City of San Diego, including La Jolla, dogs are not allowed on beaches, the boardwalks or the adjacent parks from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. between November 1 and March 31, or from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. between April 1 and October 31; at other hours they must be leashed. The off-leash beaches are Dog Beach in Ocean Beach and Fiesta Island in Mission Bay Park. In City parks, dogs must be on a leash of eight feet or less except in posted off-leash areas, and bringing a dog into an off-leash area is treated by the Municipal Code as a waiver of liability in favour of the City (section 63.0102).

La Jolla has stricter spots: dogs are never allowed on the Children's Pool beach, breakwater wall, ramp or stairs, and they are prohibited at all times in the Point La Jolla and Boomer Beach closure area (section 63.0102(f) and (g)). Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, a state park, does not allow dogs. In the City of San Diego, San Diego Humane Society is the City's animal services provider and may investigate bites; the County of San Diego Department of Animal Services serves the unincorporated county. In Hemet and the Coachella Valley, bites are reported to the city's or county's own animal services provider.

A leash or beach-hours violation can help show what happened, but under California law the owner's responsibility for a bite in a public place does not depend on it, and an off-leash area waiver protects the City, not the dog's owner.

The owner of a dog is liable for damages suffered by a person bitten while in a public place or lawfully in a private place, including the owner's property, regardless of the dog's former viciousness or the owner's knowledge of it (Civil Code section 3342). Injuries that are not bites, such as being knocked down, are usually evaluated under ordinary negligence (Civil Code section 1714) and local leash rules.

Most claims must be filed within two years (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1); claims for a child may follow different timing rules (section 352). General information only. Exceptions apply and deadlines can be shorter than you expect: confirm yours with an attorney.