Maison Law can help you if you’re bitten by a dog while at Home Depot in Gilroy. Even the calmest dog can get overwhelmed in an environment like Home Depot. It’s a lot for a dog to take in, even one that’s great at home or at the park. When a dog gets overstimulated or feels cornered, bites can happen fast. When it does, our team will be there to help you through the aftermath. Set up a free consultation today.

Do I Even Need a Lawyer?

Getting bitten by a dog at a place like Home Depot can feel chaotic and confusing. You’re in a store, minding your business, and suddenly you’re dealing with pain, shock, and a situation you never saw coming. Technically, you’re not required to hire a lawyer for a dog bite case in California—but having one can make your life noticeably easier. Our team will:

Explain your rights in a way that’s easy to understand
Figure out who’s legally responsible
Gather evidence (including store footage and incident reports)
Deal with the dog owner’s insurance company, and—if needed—help you file a lawsuit.

Home Depot stores are busy, and evidence can disappear quickly. Having someone who knows how to track things down can make a big difference in how smoothly things go and how strong your claim becomes.

What Information Do I Need to Get After I’m Bitten?

The minutes after a dog bite can feel chaotic, especially in a crowded Home Depot where people are coming and going. Still, if you’re able, gathering certain information now makes everything easier later. Think of this as the practical, real-world information that helps show what happened and who was involved:

Owner information. Try to get the dog owner’s name and contact details before they leave the store. A simple, “I need your information for my records,” is reasonable in this situation. If the owner walks away quickly, even a note about their appearance or a picture of their license plate can help.
Dog details. Anything you remember about the dog matters: the size, breed (or approximate breed), coloring, whether the dog was leashed, whether they seemed anxious or aggressive, and anything the owner said about vaccinations. If you overheard the dog’s name, jot that down too.
Where and how it happened. Take note of the exact aisle or section where the bite happened—lumber, garden center, paint aisle, near customer service, outside in the loading area, and so on. Also pay attention to what was happening right beforehand. Was the dog pulling on the leash? Were they startled by a cart? Were people crowding the area? These details help build a clear picture.
Photos and video. Photos are powerful evidence. If you can, take pictures of the bite, your surroundings, the dog, and anything that may have contributed to the incident—tight spaces, blocked walkways, or areas where dogs shouldn’t normally be. If a bystander recorded the moment, you can politely ask if they’d be willing to share the video.
Witness information. If anyone saw what happened, ask for their name and contact information. Even a brief statement from another customer can help support your claim.
Store reports. Most Home Depot locations will prepare an incident report when someone is hurt in the store. It helps to ask for a copy or at least ask for the case or report number. If an employee or manager speaks with you, write down their name as well.
Medical records. Once you get medical care—and you should, even if the bite looks small—keep everything. This includes urgent care paperwork, photos of the wound over the following days, prescriptions, and instructions from your doctor. These records show how the bite affected you physically and financially.

The goal here isn’t to turn you into an investigator. It’s simply to make sure the moment doesn’t slip away before the most important details are documented.

Is Home Depot Responsible When I Get Bitten by a Dog?

Home Depot has an official policy that says only service dogs are allowed in stores. In reality, though, many locations allow pets as long as they’re leashed and well-behaved. That means the store knows dogs may be on the property—and that means some level of risk.

California’s strict liability law makes the dog’s owner responsible when their dog bites someone, regardless of whether the dog has a history of biting. But depending on the situation, there are moments when the store could share some of the responsibility. Usually, this happens when:

Employees allowed a dog inside despite clear safety concerns.
The dog was creating a disturbance and the store failed to intervene.
The dog should not have been in a certain area but no one enforced the rules.
The store’s layout or crowding contributed to the unsafe situation.

Every case is different, and many dog bite claims still fall primarily on the dog’s owner. But with the added layer of it happening in Home Depot, it brings up more questions about your options for filing a claim.

What Are My Options for Filing a Claim After I’m Bitten?

Once you’ve taken care of your health and gathered the basic information about what happened, the next question is what to do with it. The good news is that California gives you several clear options–even when the bite happens at a Home Depot store:

Filing an insurance claim. This is often the first step. Typically, the dog owner’s homeowners or renters insurance covers injuries their dog causes, even outside the home. A claim allows you to recover things like medical costs, lost wages, and other related expenses.
Filing a lawsuit. If insurance isn’t cooperative—or if the dog owner doesn’t have coverage—you may need to file a lawsuit to recover damages. This can also happen if the injuries are serious or if multiple parties may share responsibility.
Including Home Depot in the claim. If the circumstances show that the store contributed to the bite, you may be able to include Home Depot or its insurance in the claim. This depends heavily on the details and store conditions at the time.

A claim can help you recover a wide range of costs, including:

Medical bills, emergency care, and follow-up treatment.
Lost wages if you had to miss work.
Damage to personal property, such as clothing or glasses.
Pain, emotional distress, and the impact the bite has on your daily life.
Long-term effects like scarring or reduced mobility.

There’s no single “right” option for every situation. The right approach depends on how the bite happened, who was involved, your injuries, and the kind of support you want going forward. What matters is that you understand the options clearly—and that you don’t have to sort through them alone.

Why Do Dog Bites Happen at Home Depot?

Even though it’s fairly easy to see that a dog bite can happen when you come across one in a Home Depot, it doesn’t really tell you why they happen in the first place. And in this situation, the details matter. So, here’s why bites usually happen in these situations:

Dogs become overstimulated by loud sounds, machinery, and movement.
Tight aisles force unfamiliar dogs and strangers into close contact.
Owners may be distracted while shopping, missing early warning signs.
Dogs can feel trapped or cornered in crowded or confined spaces.
Unexpected interactions—like a child approaching or another dog walking by—can spark fear or a protective reaction.
Some dogs get territorial around their owners, carts, or items they’re carrying.
Pain or underlying medical issues can make a dog suddenly reactive.

Even the calmest dog can react unpredictably inside a place like Home Depot. With all the noise, crowds, and constant movement, dogs can get overwhelmed quickly—and that’s often when bite incidents happen.

Get Support After a Dog Bite at the Gilroy Home Depot

If you were bitten by a dog at the Home Depot and want to understand your options, our dog bite lawyers at Maison Law can talk through everything with you and help you figure out your next steps, starting with a free consultation. Set up yours today.

Dog Bites at Home Depot in Gilroy