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 contain 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.

Also see: State Preemption Map | Fighting Preemption | Deaths After Preemption

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.