Breed safety laws ::
Over 900 U.S. cities have enacted breed-specific legislation and wolf-dog hybrid laws. View model and noted breed-specific ordinances and mandatory pit bull spaying and neutering ordinances.
Types of ordinances
Model & Noted Ordinances
A list of model breed-specific ordinances, which have withstood legal challenges, and noted ordinances, which often contain a blend of pit bull sterilization and anti-tethering requirements.
Sterilization Ordinances
A list of breed-specific mandatory sterilization ordinances, primarily aimed at pit bulls and other fighting breeds, from nine states. Some also require mandatory microchipping or insurance.
State-by-State Ordinances
Our vast collection of over 900 breed-specific ordinances by state now requires a login. This website area is reserved for city officials and legal researchers. Please contact us for access.
Military Breed-Specific Policies
Between 2009 and 2012, all three major U.S. military divisions banned a small group of dangerous dog breeds from domestic privatized housing, primarily: pit bulls, rottweilers and wolf-dog hybrids.
Indian Reservation Laws
A list of Indian reservations with breed-specific ordinances from Washington to Wisconsin, along with Tribal lands located in the Northwest, Great Plains, Southwest, South and Southeast regions.
Housing Authority Policies
A sampling of public housing authorities with breed-specific policies across the country, the largest being the New York City Housing Authority. These policies primarily target pit bulls and rottweilers.
Constitutional breed safety laws
Appellate courts in fourteen states and the District of Columbia have upheld the constitutionality of breed-specific legislation. Learn more in the section: Constitutionality of Breed-Specific Laws.
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Missouri
- New Mexico
- Ohio
- Utah
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
International breed safety laws
Many foreign countries have enacted breed-specific legislation as well, including: Canada, Great Britain, Germany, France, Ireland, Australia, and more. Please see a full list of these countries.
- Ireland Dog Control Act | Dublin Breen Ban
- New South Wales: Companion Animal Act
- New Zealand Dog Control Amendment Act
- Ontario, Canada: Dog Owners' Liability Act
- Winnipeg, Canada: The Pound By-law
- Spain: Ownership of Potentially Dangerous Animals
- Turkey Animal Protection Law
- United Kingdom: Dangerous Dogs Act
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