Dog Bite Injuries in New Mexico: What Albuquerque Victims Should Know

New Mexico’s combination of warm weather, outdoor culture, and high rates of pet ownership means encounters with unfamiliar dogs are a regular part of daily life here: on trails, in parks, and in neighborhoods across Bernalillo County.

But not all dogs are friendly, and not all dog owners know how to control their pets. A single attack can leave you dealing with serious injuries, mounting medical costs, and genuine confusion about what their rights actually are under New Mexico law.

In this post, we explain what steps to take after a dog bite in Albuquerque or surrounding areas, how New Mexico’s legal framework applies to your situation, and what pursuing a claim looks like in practice.

What to Do Immediately After a Dog Bite in Albuquerque

Your first priority is safety and medical care. Move away from the animal, clean the wound as best you can, and seek treatment promptly. Dog bites carry a real risk of infection, nerve damage, and in some cases rabies exposure, complications that may not be obvious in the first hours after an attack.

At the scene, try to identify the dog’s owner and collect their contact information and homeowner’s or renter’s insurance details if possible. Get the names and contact information of any witnesses. Take photos of the wound, the location, and the dog itself if it is safe to do so.

These steps serve two purposes: they protect your health, and they create the early documentation that will matter if you pursue a claim.

How to Report a Dog Bite in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County

Reporting a dog bite to the appropriate local authority creates an official record of the incident, may trigger a quarantine of the animal, and helps protect others in your community from future attacks.

If you were bitten within Albuquerque city limits, contact the City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department. You can report an aggressive or biting dog by calling 311 (505-768-2000) or by emailing [email protected].

The city also maintains an online incident reporting form. However, city officials discourage anyone who has suffered serious injuries from calling or using the online form. Victims with serious injuries should call 911 immediately and make a report only after receiving medical care.

If the bite occurred outside Albuquerque city limits but within Bernalillo County, contact the Bernalillo County Animal Care Services Enforcement Office at 505-468-7387

Under Section 6-40 of the Bernalillo County Animal Ordinance, both the dog’s owner and the bite victim are required to report the occurrence to the county’s animal care services department within 24 hours of the incident. This is not optional — it is a legal obligation for owners in the county.

For bites in other New Mexico jurisdictions such as Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, Las Cruces, and so on, you can contact the local animal control authority or law enforcement agency for that area.

Why Medical Documentation Is Essential to Your New Mexico Claim

Medical treatment does more than protect your health; it creates the evidentiary foundation of your case. Doctors generate records that establish what injuries were present, when they were treated, and what complications arose. These records frequently become the backbone of a dog bite claim in New Mexico.

Documentation should extend well beyond the emergency room visit. Follow-up appointments, prescriptions, specialist referrals, physical therapy notes, and any mental health treatment related to the attack all help demonstrate how the injury has affected your daily life over time. Keep organized copies of everything, including out-of-pocket expenses and any missed work.

A personal pain journal (brief daily notes about symptoms, sleep disruption, and activity limitations) can also support the non-economic portion of a damages claim, such as pain and suffering.

How Liability Works Under New Mexico Law

This is where many dog bite victims are surprised, and it is important to understand clearly.

New Mexico does not have a dog bite statute. Unlike states that impose automatic strict liability on owners for any bite regardless of circumstances, New Mexico liability typically rests on two grounds: scienter (the “one bite” concept) and negligence.

Under Uniform Jury Instruction UJI 13-506, a dog’s owner is liable for damages proximately caused by the dog if the owner knew, or should have known, that the dog was vicious or had a tendency or natural inclination to be vicious.

In plain terms, this means that if a dog has shown prior aggressive behavior and the owner was aware of it, that owner can be held strictly liable for your injuries, even without any negligence on their part

If a dog owner knew of the dog’s dangerous propensities, the owner is strictly liable to the dog bite victim rather than merely negligent. Negligence, by contrast, applies when a dog owner who has a general understanding of how their dog behaves fails to adequately confine it or prevent an injury.

In practical terms, this means your attorney will investigate the dog’s history — prior bite reports, complaints to animal control, dangerous dog designations — to establish what the owner knew or should have known.

What about the “one bite rule” in New Mexico?

You may have heard this term. New Mexico’s approach means an owner may not be held liable for a first-time bite if they had no prior knowledge of the dog’s dangerous tendencies.

However, if the dog had bitten someone before or exhibited aggressive behavior, the owner is more likely to be found negligent for not taking preventive measures.

New Mexico’s pure comparative fault rule also applies to dog bite cases. Under New Mexico’s pure comparative negligence laws, a victim’s compensation is reduced by their percentage of fault in causing the attack.

This means that even if you were partially at fault (for example, by entering a property despite visible warning signs) you can still recover damages, though the amount will be reduced proportionally.

Filing a Dog Bite Claim in New Mexico: What the Process Looks Like

A dog bite claim begins with gathering and preserving evidence, then notifying the dog owner or their insurance carrier. Homeowners and renters insurance frequently covers dog bite liability, though some policies exclude certain breeds or dogs with prior incidents.

Ask for the owner’s insurer and claim number, and notify the opposing insurer promptly — but avoid giving recorded statements or signing medical releases until you have spoken with an attorney.

Damages in a dog bite claim can include medical expenses (past and future), lost income, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and in severe cases, disfigurement or permanent disability. The exact amount recoverable depends on the specifics of your injuries and how they have affected your life.

The filing deadline is firm. Under NMSA § 37-1-8, personal injury claims in New Mexico. including dog bite claims. must be filed within three years of the date the injury occurred. If that deadline passes, you lose your right to compensation entirely.

Three years may sound like a long time, but building a strong case takes time, and early evidence (animal control records, witness recollections, the dog’s history) is much easier to preserve closer to the date of the attack. Do not wait.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does New Mexico have a strict liability dog bite law?

No. New Mexico does not have a dog bite statute. Liability is established through proof of the owner’s knowledge of the dog’s dangerous tendencies (which triggers strict liability under UJI 13-506) or through negligence. This makes the owner’s prior knowledge of the dog’s behavior a central issue in most New Mexico dog bite cases.

Who is responsible if the dog’s owner wasn’t present?

Non-owners, such as a person with control over the animal, can in limited circumstances face liability when they had knowledge of the dog’s dangerous propensities and sufficient control to reduce the risk.

Can someone other than the owner be held responsible?

A landlord or property manager in Albuquerque could share liability if they were aware that a tenant kept a dangerous or aggressive dog on the property and failed to take reasonable steps to address it.

This can be particularly relevant in multi-unit housing situations common in neighborhoods such as the International District, Nob Hill, or Downtown Albuquerque, where tenants share common areas such as hallways, courtyards, and parking lots.

What does a “dangerous dog” designation mean for my case?

Under the New Mexico Dangerous Dog Act, a dangerous dog must be maintained exclusively on the owner’s property except for medical treatment, and when removed from the property, must be caged or muzzled and restrained with a lead no longer than four feet. If the owner violated these requirements before your attack, that violation is direct evidence of negligence.

How long do I have to file a lawsuit for a dog bite in New Mexico?

Under NMSA § 37-1-8, you have three years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. Note that if the bite was caused by a government-owned dog (such as a police K-9), different rules and shorter deadlines apply under the New Mexico Tort Claims Act.

Talk With Will Ferguson & Associates After a Dog Bite in New Mexico

If you or a loved one was bitten by a dog in Albuquerque or anywhere in New Mexico, the legal framework here is more nuanced than in many other states — and the outcome of your case will depend heavily on facts that need to be identified and preserved quickly.

At Will Ferguson & Associates, our New Mexico dog bite lawyers understand how liability works, how to investigate a dog’s history through Albuquerque and Bernalillo County animal control records, and how to build a case that reflects the full impact of your injuries.

You can reach Will Ferguson & Associates at (505) 308-1458 to discuss your situation.