The usual response is “you knew the risk, you went to a dog park.” It is worth understanding why that is weaker than it sounds in Florida.
Lawful presence is not in issue. Section 767.04 covers a person bitten “on or in a public place, or lawfully on or in a private place.” The qualifier lawfully attaches only to the private place. A public dog park is a public place, so the question never arises.
Strict liability still applies. The owner is liable “regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owners’ knowledge of such viciousness.” That the dog had never bitten anyone before is not a defense.
The sign defense does not travel there. The “Bad Dog” provision is written around a sign displayed “on his or her premises.” A sign on the owner’s fence at home does nothing at a public park.
What the other side will actually argue is comparative fault — that you approached a dog showing warning signs, intervened in a scuffle, or brought a dog that started it. That is a percentage argument, and above 50% it can bar recovery entirely.
Two practical points. Dog park bites are notorious for the owner leaving before anyone gets details, so photograph the dog, the owner, and any vehicle immediately. And a privately operated dog park may carry its own premises liability and its own policy, which is a second place recovery can come from.
