Sec. 3. (a) If a dog, without provocation, bites a person:

(1) who is acting peaceably; and

Terms Used In Indiana Code 15-20-1-3

  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • owner: means the owner of a dog. See Indiana Code 15-20-1-2
  • United States: includes the District of Columbia and the commonwealths, possessions, states in free association with the United States, and the territories. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
(2) who is in a location where the person may be required to be in order to discharge a duty imposed upon the person by:

(A) the laws of Indiana;

(B) the laws of the United States; or

(C) the postal regulations of the United States;

the owner of the dog is liable for all damages suffered by the person bitten.

     (b) The owner of a dog described in subsection (a) is liable for damages even if:

(1) the dog has not previously behaved in a vicious manner; or

(2) the owner has no knowledge of prior vicious behavior by the dog.

[Pre-2008 Recodification Citation: 15-5-12-1.]

As added by P.L.2-2008, SEC.11.