What should I do immediately after a dog bite?

Wash the wound at once with plenty of soap and running water, do not apply chillies, mustard oil or anything else, do not bandage or stitch it, and see a doctor or anti-rabies clinic the same day. India's rabies guidelines treat dog bites as a medical emergency.

Which law applies to a pet dog bite in India?

Section 291 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which replaced IPC section 289 from 1 July 2024. It punishes knowingly or negligently failing to guard against probable danger from an animal in your possession, with up to six months' imprisonment, a fine up to Rs 5,000, or both.

Does a dog owner have to pay the victim's medical costs?

In some cities, yes. MCD Delhi's terms make the owner responsible for compensation and the victim's anti-rabies costs, and Noida Authority's policy makes the owner bear the treatment cost. Elsewhere a victim can claim damages through the courts.

Is a bite from a vaccinated pet dog safe?

Not automatically. India's rabies guidelines say vaccinated animals can still transmit rabies if their vaccination was ineffective, and a provoked bite is still an exposure. See a doctor the same day and show them the dog's vaccination record.

Who is responsible if a dog bites while a pet sitter is walking it?

Both may be. BNS section 291 covers an animal in a person's possession, and the PCA Act treats anyone with custody of an animal as its owner. A sitter should know the dog's history, keep it under control, and help any victim get medical care at once.

Is there a helpline for dog bites and rabies in India?

Yes. AWBI's November 2025 SOP points to the Health Ministry's rabies helpline, 15400, and its guidelines at rabiesfreeindia.mohfw.gov.in. For a fresh bite, do not wait for a call: wash the wound and go to a doctor.

Pet rules 9 min read

Dog bites in India: first steps and the owner's liability

Updated October 2026By PetymFacts checked against official sources on 21 October 2026

Quick answer

If a dog bites or scratches you, wash the wound at once with plenty of soap and running water and see a doctor or an anti-rabies clinic the same day: it is a medical emergency. An owner who negligently fails to guard against a dangerous dog can be punished under section 291 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Section 291 replaced IPC section 289 from 1 July 2024 and carries up to six months' imprisonment, a fine of up to Rs 5,000, or both. Cities add their own rules: in Delhi and Noida the owner pays for the victim's treatment (checked 21 October 2026).

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What should you do right after a dog bite?

After a dog bite: the official steps
What	The rule	Source
First	"Wash the wound immediately with plenty of soap & water."	National Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Do not	Apply chillies, mustard oil or any other irritant; do not dress the wound or get it stitched before a doctor sees it.	National Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Then	"Consult your doctor immediately or rush to nearest antirabies clinic", and complete the course the doctor advises.	National Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Why it is urgent	"As rabies is practically 100% fatal, bites by dogs and cats in particular must be considered as a 'medical emergency'."	National Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Even if provoked	A provoked bite is still managed as an exposure; it "does not mean that the biting animal is not rabid".	National Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Helpline	The Health Ministry's rabies helpline is 15400, as AWBI's 2025 SOP notes.	Animal Welfare Board of India

What does BNS section 291 say about dog owners?

It punishes an owner who does not take enough care to stop their animal endangering people.

Word for word

Whoever knowingly or negligently omits to take such measures with any animal in his possession as is sufficient to guard against any probable danger to human life, or any probable danger of grievous hurt from such animal, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both.

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, section 291, Negligent conduct with respect to animal (NCRB's copy) National Crime Records Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs

NCRB's table matches section 291 to section 289 of the repealed Indian Penal Code, which had the same heading. The BNS came into force on 1 July 2024, so a bite on or after that date falls under section 291. Note the words "in his possession": the section is about whoever has the animal, not only its legal owner.

What do the exposure categories mean?

The National Rabies Control Programme's guidelines grade every contact with a suspect animal. The doctor decides the category and the treatment; these are the guidelines' own descriptions.

Category I: Touching or feeding animals, or licks on intact skin. National Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Category II: Nibbling of uncovered skin, or minor scratches or abrasions without bleeding. National Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Category III: Single or multiple bites or scratches that break the skin, or licks on broken skin. All bites by wild animals are treated as Category III. National Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Vaccinated dog: Not a guarantee: "vaccinated animals can also do so if the vaccination of the biting animal was ineffective", so tell the doctor the dog's history and let them decide. National Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
The 10-day watch: Treatment starts at once; the guidelines say watching a biting dog or cat for 10 days only lets the doctor adjust treatment later, never delay it. National Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

What do Indian cities make a dog owner pay after a bite?

Some corporations write the owner's liability into their pet rules. Quoted from each body's own text.

	Owner's liability	Other consequence
Delhi (MCD) Municipal Corporation of Delhi	"proper compensation to the victim" and all costs of anti-rabies serum and post-bite vaccination	Registration cancelled for irresponsible ownership causing severe bites
Noida Authority Noida Authority	The owner bears the treatment of the injured person or animal	A Rs 10,000 penalty listed in the policy's schedule
Gurugram (MCG) Municipal Corporation Gurugram	Criminal proceedings under BNS section 291 for bites, attacks or negligent handling	Action under section 311 of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act
Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh LiveLawnews report	State pays minimum compensation first, and may recover it from a private person (news report of a 2023 High Court judgment)	Rs 10,000 per tooth mark minimum, as reported

Elsewhere, the general law applies: BNS section 291, and a civil claim for damages. AWBI wrote to the health ministry on 4 August 2025 that pet-related bites "are the owner's responsibility" and asked hospitals to record pet and street dog bites separately.

What should happen after a bite, step by step?

The first two steps are medical and cannot wait. The rest protect everyone afterwards.

If someone has just been bitten or scratched
Wash the wound at once with plenty of soap and running water, apply nothing else, and go to a doctor or anti-rabies clinic the same day. National Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
If the biting dog is known
Note the owner, the dog's rabies vaccination record and whether the dog stays well over the next 10 days, and tell the doctor. National Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
If the hospital has no vaccine or immunoglobulin
The Supreme Court directed on 7 November 2025 that all government and private hospitals keep anti-rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin in stock at all times. Ask for referral; call 15400 for information. Supreme Court of India (LiveLaw's copy, 2026 LiveLaw (SC) 515)
If a pet dog bit and the owner was careless
A complaint to the police can cite BNS section 291; in Delhi, Noida and Gurugram the city's pet rules also apply. National Crime Records Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs
If a stray or aggressive dog keeps attacking
Report it to the municipal corporation's helpline. Under the 22 August 2025 order, rabid or aggressive dogs are not released back on the streets after sterilisation. Supreme Court of India

Is the owner always liable for a pet dog's bite?

Not automatically under criminal law, which needs negligence, but often under city rules and in practice.

Section 291 punishes an owner who "knowingly or negligently" fails to take enough measures against a probable danger. A dog that bites with no warning, kept on a leash by a careful owner, is a different case from a known biter let loose in a park. The police and the court decide which it is.

City rules are blunter. MCD's terms make the owner responsible for compensation and the victim's anti-rabies costs, and require the owner to indemnify MCD for the pet's violent acts. Noida's policy puts the treatment cost on the owner. Gurugram's 2026 order says bites and negligent handling invite criminal proceedings under section 291.

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act also says an owner "shall be deemed to have committed an offence" of cruelty if they failed to exercise reasonable care and supervision to prevent it (section 11(2)). That is about cruelty to the dog, not harm to people, but it shows how Indian law treats supervision as part of ownership.

What it means for owners

Keep the rabies vaccine current, keep the dog under control, and act fast if it bites.

The rabies vaccination certificate is the first thing a doctor, a victim and the police will ask for. The ABC Rules, 2023 make the owner of a pet dog responsible for its immunisation, and cities such as Delhi tie the licence to it.

Keep a dog that may bite leashed and, if your vet advises, muzzled in public. MCD bars an aggressive dog from roaming free without a muzzle, and Gurugram asks for a leash and muzzle for the listed breeds. If your dog does bite, help the person wash the wound, share your details and the vaccination record, and stay in touch until they have seen a doctor.

Tell your vet about the bite too. The guidelines' 10-day watch applies to the biting dog, so keep it at home and note any change in its behaviour or health.

What it means for sitters

During a booking the sitter has possession of the dog, so the law's duty of care sits with the sitter as well as the owner.

Section 291 applies to "any animal in his possession", and the PCA Act defines owner to include anyone "for the time being in possession or custody of the animal". A sitter walking or hosting a client's dog is that person while the booking lasts. Petym sitters learn at the meet and greet whether a dog has ever bitten, guards food or toys, or reacts to strangers, and plan walks around it.

If a client's dog bites someone, the sitter first helps the person wash the wound and urges them to see a doctor the same day, then calls the owner and shares the dog's vaccination record. If the sitter is bitten, the same rule applies: wash at once and see a doctor today.

If the client's dog is bitten by another dog, it is a pet emergency: the sitter calls the owner and takes the dog to the nearest 24-hour vet on the city's list. Every incident is logged with the time and place, which helps the vet, the owner and, if it comes to it, the police.

Going away soon? Tell us your dates.

A checked local sitter feeds, walks and keeps your pet company at home, follows your care sheet to the letter and sends a photo every day. Petym is opening city by city: send your dates and we will tell you when a sitter can take them.

Find a sitter for your dog How it works

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PAN-checked, first-aid trained
A photo every day
Pay through Petym, never cash

Questions owners ask

What should I do immediately after a dog bite?: Wash the wound at once with plenty of soap and running water, do not apply chillies, mustard oil or anything else, do not bandage or stitch it, and see a doctor or anti-rabies clinic the same day. India's rabies guidelines treat dog bites as a medical emergency.
Which law applies to a pet dog bite in India?: Section 291 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which replaced IPC section 289 from 1 July 2024. It punishes knowingly or negligently failing to guard against probable danger from an animal in your possession, with up to six months' imprisonment, a fine up to Rs 5,000, or both.
Does a dog owner have to pay the victim's medical costs?: In some cities, yes. MCD Delhi's terms make the owner responsible for compensation and the victim's anti-rabies costs, and Noida Authority's policy makes the owner bear the treatment cost. Elsewhere a victim can claim damages through the courts.
Is a bite from a vaccinated pet dog safe?: Not automatically. India's rabies guidelines say vaccinated animals can still transmit rabies if their vaccination was ineffective, and a provoked bite is still an exposure. See a doctor the same day and show them the dog's vaccination record.
Who is responsible if a dog bites while a pet sitter is walking it?: Both may be. BNS section 291 covers an animal in a person's possession, and the PCA Act treats anyone with custody of an animal as its owner. A sitter should know the dog's history, keep it under control, and help any victim get medical care at once.
Is there a helpline for dog bites and rabies in India?: Yes. AWBI's November 2025 SOP points to the Health Ministry's rabies helpline, 15400, and its guidelines at rabiesfreeindia.mohfw.gov.in. For a fresh bite, do not wait for a call: wash the wound and go to a doctor.

Keep reading

Dog walking rules in publicLeash and muzzle rules by city.
Banned dog breeds in IndiaThe 2024 list and where it stands.
Feeding community dogsThe Supreme Court's orders on stray dogs.
Animal cruelty law in IndiaThe PCA Act, BNS and how to report.
Pet registration in IndiaLicences and the rabies certificate.
How pet sitters handle emergenciesWhat a sitter does when something goes wrong.