Who Do I Call First After a Dog Bite in Michigan — Police, Animal Control, or the Health Department?

After a Michigan dog bite, the confusion about who to call first costs victims time and evidence. Here’s the right order — and why.

The Short Answer

Call 911 first if you’re seriously injured. Otherwise, call your local animal control first (county-level for most Michigan residents). They open an official record, dispatch an officer, identify the dog, and verify rabies vaccination — all of which create the evidence foundation your case will need. Then file a police report (especially if the owner refused to cooperate or the dog is dangerous). The health department gets involved automatically for rabies follow-up; you don’t usually need to call them separately.

Video coming soon — Solomon Radner answers this question

The Detailed Answer

Michigan has three overlapping authorities involved in dog bite reporting, and victims often don’t know which one to call. The confusion costs you time, evidence, and sometimes the ability to identify the dog before it leaves the scene. Here’s the right order for most cases.

1. Animal control (FIRST CALL for most cases)

For most non-emergency dog bites, animal control is the first call. They are the agency that:

Opens an official bite case file (the foundation of your evidence)
Dispatches an officer to investigate
Identifies the dog via license database and microchip scanning
Verifies rabies vaccination status with the owner
Initiates the 10-day rabies quarantine if needed
Checks the address for prior bite incidents
Can issue dangerous dog citations if appropriate

Michigan animal control is typically a county-level function. Search “[your county] Michigan animal control” or call your county’s non-emergency line and ask. Some cities (Detroit, Grand Rapids) have municipal animal control instead.

2. Local police (SECOND CALL — often called from scene by animal control)

Call police if:

The owner refused to identify themselves or provide insurance
The dog is loose and a danger to others
The attack involved criminal intent (the dog was used as a weapon)
You were assaulted in addition to being bitten
Animal control is unavailable (after hours in some counties)

A police report creates a secondary evidence record. In many counties, animal control and police share reports — but always confirm both records exist for your case.

3. Health department (USUALLY HANDLED AUTOMATICALLY)

Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services is involved in dog bites primarily for rabies exposure monitoring. When animal control opens a bite case, they coordinate with the local health department automatically. You typically don’t need to call the health department separately unless:

The dog’s rabies vaccination cannot be verified
The dog escaped and cannot be quarantined
You need rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (your ER will coordinate)

4. Your healthcare provider

Under Michigan law, healthcare providers are required to report dog bites to local health authorities. When you visit the ER or urgent care for treatment, the provider files a report automatically. This creates a third independent record of the bite.

What This Means for Your Case

The reports filed in the first 24 hours after a Michigan dog bite become the evidentiary backbone of your case. They establish:

That the bite occurred on a specific date
Which dog was responsible
The dog owner’s identity
Whether the dog had prior bite history
Whether the owner cooperated with investigation

All of this strengthens your claim under Michigan’s strict liability statute (MCL 287.351). Insurance companies pay attention to which cases have proper documentation — properly reported bites tend to settle higher than poorly documented ones.

Bitten by a dog in Michigan? Call 1-800-LAWSUIT or request a free case review. No fee unless we win.