People ask this for two opposite reasons — some worried the dog will be destroyed, some worried it will not be. The honest answer is that most dogs are quarantined and go home.
Quarantine. The common outcome. A rabies observation period, frequently served at the owner’s home rather than a shelter.
Confiscation. Section 767.12 requires it in defined circumstances: a dog that “has killed a human being or has bitten a human being and left a bite mark that scores 5 or higher on the Dunbar bite scale.” That scale is a standard measure of bite severity, and anchoring the statute to it in 2025 replaced a judgement call with a graded assessment.
One consequence worth knowing: how the treating clinician describes your wound can affect whether the dog is confiscated at all. Make sure the medical record reflects what actually happened.
Classification as dangerous. A separate administrative process. The owner is notified, may request a hearing within 7 calendar days, and if classified must register the dog, microchip it, have it sterilised, provide a proper enclosure with a warning sign, and carry at least $100,000 in liability insurance.
Destruction. Rare, and reserved for the most serious facts. Section 767.135 requires it where a dog not previously declared dangerous attacks and causes the death of a human.
None of this is your civil claim, and none of it is required for you to have one. But the file it generates is evidence, and the classification carries an insurance floor that can matter a great deal.