Personal Injury · Dog Bite Liability
Dog Bite Laws in Connecticut
Whether Connecticut holds a dog owner automatically liable, follows the one-bite rule, or takes a mixed approach, plus landlord liability and the main defenses.
How liability works in Connecticut
What the rule is, and what you must show.
Landlords & defenses
Who else can be liable, and what defeats a claim.
Connecticut protects young children: if the injured person was under seven, the law presumes they were not trespassing or provoking the dog, and the owner carries the burden to prove otherwise.
The full picture, with the source
Every field, and any recent development.
| Liability model | Strict liability |
| Basis | Statute — Conn. Gen. Stat. §22-357 |
| What it covers | The dog caused damage to your body or property, and you were not trespassing, committing another tort, or teasing, tormenting, or abusing the dog. No prior-bite or knowledge requirement applies. |
| Landlord | Generally no under §22-357, which reaches the "owner or keeper." A landlord can occasionally be a "keeper" if they harbor or control the dog, but usually a claim against a landlord runs on common-law negligence: knowledge of the danger plus the ability to remove it. |
| Main defenses | Trespass or other tort · Teasing, tormenting or abusing the dog |
What Connecticut dog-bite victims get wrong
Connecticut is a strong strict-liability state, and its statute is unusually broad. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. §22-357, the owner or keeper is liable for any damage the dog does to a person or to property, not just for bites. A knock-down, a scratch, or damage a dog causes to your belongings is all covered, and you never have to show the dog had bitten before or that the owner knew it was dangerous. The statute carves out only a short list of exceptions: you cannot recover if you were trespassing, committing another tort, or teasing, tormenting, or abusing the dog when the harm happened. Connecticut also builds in a protection for small children: a victim under seven is presumed not to have provoked or trespassed, and the owner must prove otherwise.
Common questions
Is Connecticut a strict-liability state for dog bites?
Yes. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. §22-357 the owner or keeper is automatically liable for damage the dog causes, with no need to prove a prior bite or the owner’s knowledge of any danger.
Does Connecticut’s dog law cover more than bites?
Yes. Section 22-357 covers any damage to a person or property, so a knock-down, a scratch, or property damage is included, not just bites.
What are the defenses to a Connecticut dog-bite claim?
The statute bars recovery only if the victim was trespassing, committing another tort, or teasing, tormenting, or abusing the dog at the time of the injury.
Does it matter if the injured person was a young child in Connecticut?
Yes. If the victim was under seven, the law presumes they were not trespassing or provoking the dog, and the owner must prove otherwise to use those defenses.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.