Generally, the safety precautions for a potentially dangerous dog are less restrictive than a dangerous dog determination.
Georgia prohibits owners from selling or transferring ownership of a vicious dog unless the transfer is to a veterinarian or a governmental body to euthanize the dog. Pennsylvania also has a webpage with a Dangerous Dog Registry. In Virginia, an owner must register his or her Dangerous Dog on a web registry along with the fees, confinement, microchip, tattoo, leash, and muzzle requirements that are typical requirements for owning a dangerous dog. Once a dog has been determined to be dangerous, vicious, or potentially dangerous, the owner typically must follow specific safety precautions to reduce the chance of injury to another person or animal. The “Procedure for Determination” column reveals how each state makes a dangerous, vicious, or potentially dangerous dog determination if the state includes any provisions. Appeals from a local governmental body’s determination may be heard in a state court, as is the practice in Illinois. Typically, however, the determination is carried out by a local administrative body or a municipal court. Colorado, Oregon, and Pennsylvania also define harboring, maintaining, or owning a dangerous dog as a crime. States like Colorado, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Virginia use criminal proceedings to declare a dog as dangerous. Declaring a dog as dangerous may involve an administrative, a civil, or a criminal hearing. In addition to providing a definitional section, Dangerous Dog statutes will typically provide a procedural section for determining whether a dog is dangerous, vicious, or potentially dangerous. The Procedure for Declaring a Dog Dangerous A few states include an even lower classification, either a "nuisance" or a "menace" dog, in their Dangerous Dog statutes as well. However, a state may use a vicious dog classification in addition to a dangerous dog classification in order to distinguish a more serious act.Ī Dangerous Dog statute may also have a potentially dangerous dog classification for acts or actions that are less severe than a dangerous/vicious dog classification. It is important to note that a Dangerous Dog law might use the phrase "vicious dog" instead of "dangerous dog," even though they are both referring to the same type of actions. The “Definition” column in the table below reveals how each U.S. A state may also allow other animals to be declared dangerous as well. The definition of “dangerous dog” usually refers to the act or actions of a dog that puts the public or other animals at risk for injury or death. It is recommended that you look through your city or county’s ordinance for Dangerous Dog laws in addition to looking at the statutes listed below. While many cities and counties have enacted their own Dangerous Dog ordinances, the table below only details the 42 state and DC's laws. These statutes and ordinances are known as Dangerous Dog laws. Since fatal dog attacks and dog bite injuries are within a State’s public health, safety, and welfare police power standard, 42 states and the District of Columbia currently have statutes that regulate dogs believed to exhibit or engage in violent behaviors (Alaska and Wyoming are included on this table, but the laws are very general and do not necessarily reflect typical Dangerous Dog statutes). Dog bites are also one of the most popular reasons why children visit the emergency room. Of this number, approximately 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for these bites while only 0.0002 of these attacks are fatal. Currently, 42 states have dangerous dog codes.Īpproximately, four to five million Americans are bitten by dogs every year. These laws typically define when a dog is dangerous, the legal procedure that determines whether a dog is dangerous, conditions for owning a dangerous dog, euthanasia provisions, and penalties for the owner (and the dog).
This table covers state laws that address dangerous dogs.
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