One-bite in name, but with a real exception
Under O.C.G.A. §51-2-7, a dog owner is liable only if the dog was "vicious or dangerous" and the owner knew it — Georgia's traditional "first bite" rule, derived from the common law rather than the statute itself.
But the statute carves out a powerful shortcut: if a local ordinance required the dog to be on a leash or at heel, and it wasn't at the time of the incident, that violation alone is sufficient to prove vicious propensity — no prior bite or other history of aggression required. A dog with a completely clean record can still trigger owner liability this way.
Provocation is a complete defense: Georgia law bars recovery entirely if the victim provoked the attack.