Section 767.04 makes the owner liable. No identified owner generally means no policy and no defendant, so this is a case where speed genuinely changes the outcome.
Get medical attention first, and mention rabies. A dog whose vaccination history cannot be confirmed changes the medical decision-making, and that is a conversation to have with a clinician immediately rather than in a few days.
Report to animal services the same day. Give a description and the exact location. Animal control traces dogs from far less than people expect, and many “strays” turn out to be owned dogs that got out. A report filed today is worth much more than one filed next week.
Things that lead to an owner: neighbours who recognise the dog, a collar or tag, a microchip once it is picked up, prior complaints at nearby addresses, and doorbell or security camera footage from the street. Footage is the one with a clock on it — most systems overwrite within days.
Situations where someone else may be responsible even without the owner:
- The dog was being fed, housed, or kept by someone, even informally — that can make them the keeper
- It escaped from a property whose gate or fencing was left insecure
- It was in the care of a shelter, rescue, boarding facility, or transporter at the time
If no owner is ever found, there is usually no claim to bring. Focus on your own health cover and on completing treatment. It is not the answer anyone wants, but it is the honest one, and knowing it early saves you from paying to find it out slowly.