FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
S. NO; __ 
2_8_0_' 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
Explanatory Note 
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In the Philippines, it is estimated that there are about 317,065 people who are bitten by dogs 
annually.l Unfortunately, there is no accurate report for dog bite cases as most cases neither go 
reported nor properly treated in hospitals. In a data available at Dumaguete City, the city 
veterinary office (CVO) has recorded a total ofl05 dog bite cases in the first seven (7) months of 
2008. According to the CVO, the said figures are based only on the dog bite cases that were 
reported in their office. More alarmingly, according to a report published by Inquirer2, there is 
consistent evidence that between 30 and 60 percent of all victims of dog bites are children under 
fifteen (15) years of age. 
This bill first provides that, when any person owns or keeps a vicious or dangerous dog of any 
kind and, as a result of his or her careless management or allowing the dog to go at liberty, and 
another person, without fault is injured, such owner shall be liable in damages for such injury. If 
any dog shall, without provocation, bite or injure any person who is at the time at a place where 
he or she has a legal right to be, the owner of such dog shall be liable in damages to the person so 
bitten or injured. This apparent strict liability has a mitigation provision that states that the 
owner of such dog shall be entitled to plead and prove in mitigation of damages that he had no 
knowledge of any circumstances indicating such dog to be or to have been vicious or dangerous. 
If an owner, however, is aware that his or her dog is rabid at the time of the bite, he or she shall 
be liable for twice the damages sustained. 
In view ~fthe foregoing, the passage ofthis bill is earnestly sought. ~ 
) __ - __ 
A~NNY" 
F. TRILLANES IV 
Senator 
1 http://www.wl.ongdi.mllosis.com/d/dogbite/stats-country.htm. Infonnation retrieved on November 17, 2008 
2 hth):/Ishowbizandstyle.inquircr.net/lifcstyie/iitestyie/view article.php?articlc id=127041. Infonnation retrieved on November 
18,2008. 
I 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
SENATE 
280 
S.NO. ___ 
_ 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV 
AN ACT 
RELATING TO THE LIABILITY OF OWNERS OF DOGS BITING OR INJURING 
PERSONS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act maybe cited as the "Dog Bite Law 0[2010". 
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SEC. 2. Definition. As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, "owner" 
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means a person who, at the time of the offense, regularly harbors, keeps or exercises control over 
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the dog, but does not include a person who, at the time of the offense, is temporarily harboring, 
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keeping or exercising control over the dog. 
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SEC. 3. Liability of owner of dog for injuries to person bitten or injured while upon 
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property owned or controlled by owner, etc.- If any dog shall, without provocation, bite or injure 
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any person who is at the time at a place where he or she has a legal right to be, the owner of such 
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dog shall be liable in damages to the person so bitten or injured, but such liability shall arise only 
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when the person so bitten or injured is upon property owned or controlled by the owner of such 
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dog at the time such bite or injury occurs or when such person has been immediately prior to 
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such time on such property and has been pursued therefrom by such dog. 
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SEC. 4. When person deemed lawfully on property of owner of dog. - For the purpose 
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ofthis Act, a person shall be considered to be lawfully upon the private property of the owner of 
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such dog when he is on such property in the performance of any duty imposed upon him by the 
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laws of this land or the local government ordinances and regulations of the Philippines, when 
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reading meters, when making repairs to any public utility or service upon said premises or when 
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on such property upon the invitation, either expressed or implied, of the owner or lessee of such 
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property. 
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SEC. 5. Liability Of owner of dog for injuries to person bitten or injured while upon 
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other persoll 's property or a place opell to the gelleral public. - The owner of a dog commits an 
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offense if that dog goes uncontrolled by the owner upon the premises of another without the 
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consent of the owner of the premises or other person authorized to give consent, or goes 
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uncontrolled by the owner upon a highway, public road, street or any other place open to the 
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public generally. 
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SEC. 6. Exceptiolls. - It is an exception to the application ofthis Act if: 
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(1) The dog was on a hunt or chase; 
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(2) The dog was on the way to or from a hunt or chase; 
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(3) The dog was guarding or driving stock or on the way to guard or drive stock; 
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(4) The dog was being moved from one place to another by the owner ofthe dog; 
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(5) The dog is a police or military dog, the injury occurred during the course of the dog's official 
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duties and the person injured was a party to, a participant in or suspected of being a party to or 
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participant in the act or conduct that prompted the police or military to utilize the services of the 
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dog; 
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(6) The violation of Section 5 occurred while the injured person was on the private property of 
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the dog's owner with the intent to engage in unlawful activity while on the property; 
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(7) The violation of Section 5 occurred while the dog was protecting the dog's owner or other 
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innocent party from attack by the injured person or an animal owned by the injured person; 
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(8) The violation of Section 5 occurred while the dog was securely confmed in a kelmel, crate or 
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other enclosure; or 
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(9) The violation of Section 5 occurred as a result of the injured person disturbing, harassing, 
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assaulting or otherwise provoking the dog. 
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SEC. 7. Injury caused by dogs; civilliabilify; exceptions; limitation~~ -
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(1) 
(a) The owner of a dog has a duty to keep that dog under reasonable control at all times, 
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and to keep that dog from running at large. A person who breaches that duty is subject to 
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civil liability, as provided in Article 2183 of the Civil Code of the Philippines, for any 
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damages suffered by a person who is injured by the dog while in a public place or 
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lawfully in or on the private property of another. 
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(b) Such a person may be held liable regardless of whether the dog has shown any 
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dangerous propensities or whether the dog's owner knew or should have known of the 
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dog's dangerous propensities. 
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(2) The provisions of Section (7)(1) shall not be construed to impose liability upon the owner of 
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the dog if: 
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(a) The dog is a police or military dog, the injury occurred during the course of the dog's 
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official duties and the person injured was a party to, a participant in or suspected ofbeing 
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a party to or participant in the act or conduct that prompted the po lice or military to 
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utilize the services of the dog; 
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(b) The injured person was trespassing upon the private, nonresidential property of the 
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dog's owner; 
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(c) The injury occurred while the dog was protecting the dog's owner or other innocent 
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party from attack by the injured person or a dog owned by the injured person; 
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(d) The injury occurred while the dog was securely confmed in a kennel, crate or other 
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enclosure; or 
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(e) The injury occurred as a result of the injured person enticing, disturbing, alarming, 
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harassing, or otherwise provoking the dog. 
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• 
1 
(3) 
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If a dog causes damage to a person while the person is on residential, farm or other 
noncommercial property, and the dog's owner is the owner of the property, or is on such 
property by permission of the owner or as a lawful tenant or lessee, in any civil action 
based upon such damages brought against the owner of the dog, the claimant shall be 
required to establish that the dog's owner knew or should have known of the dog's 
dangerous propensities. 
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SEC. 8. Mitigation of damages. - The owner of such dog shall, however, be entitled to 
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plead and prove in mitigation of damages that he had no knowledge of any circumstances 
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indicating such dog to be or to have been vicious or dangerous or mischievous, and, if he does 
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so, he shall be liable only to the extent of the actual expenses incurred by the person so bitten or 
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injured as a result of the bite or injury. 
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SEC. 9. Repealing Clause.- Any laws, decrees, ordinances or rules and regulations 
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which are inconsistent with or contrary to the provision of this Act is hereby amended or 
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repealed. 
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SEC. 10. Effectivity.- This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete 
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publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
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