Dog Bite Euthanasia Laws by State (2026)

Q: Can a dog be put down because of its breed?

West Virginia's Supreme Court held in State v. Blatt (2015) that a court must judge the dog's own behavior, not its breed. Many states also bar breed-specific local laws; see the breed-specific legislation guide.

Usually not after a single bite. In most states a court or animal control agency can order a dog destroyed only after it killed or seriously injured a person, bit again after being declared dangerous, or its owner ignored the conditions imposed on it, and only after notice and a hearing. A healthy dog that bites is normally confined and watched for 10 days for rabies, not put down; CDC reserves euthanasia and testing for a dog that falls ill during that time or a stray ¹.

The rules differ sharply from state to state, and some states leave the whole question to city and county ordinances. This guide explains when euthanasia is mandatory, when it is a judge’s choice, what hearing and appeal rights the owner has, and when a dog is euthanized for rabies testing. The table further down gives every state’s rule, with a link to its dangerous-dog page.

Will my dog be put down for biting someone?

Three facts decide most cases: how badly the person was hurt, whether the dog had a prior bite or a prior dangerous-dog finding, and whether the owner followed the orders already in place. A first bite that leaves a minor wound almost never leads to a destruction order under the statutes below. A bite that kills someone or causes serious injury can, and in many states must.

Most states use a two-step scale. A first finding labels the dog “dangerous” or “potentially dangerous” and imposes conditions such as an enclosure, a muzzle, registration or insurance. Euthanasia is kept for the most serious injuries, for a dog that attacks again, or for an owner who does not comply. The dangerous dog laws guide explains how designation works.

Idaho shows the scale in its plainest form. A court that finds a dog “at-risk”, for a bite without serious injury, cannot order it put to death; only a “dangerous” finding, for serious injury or a new attack after an at-risk finding, allows that order ⁴⁴. See Idaho’s dangerous-dog law.

When is euthanasia mandatory?

Several states take the choice away from the judge once certain facts are proven. These rules usually turn on death or serious injury to a person:

Alabama. A court that finds a dog dangerous and that it caused serious physical injury or death must order it euthanized ². See Alabama.
Michigan. On a sworn complaint, a district court or magistrate that finds a dangerous animal caused serious injury or death to a person or a dog must order it destroyed at the owner’s expense ¹⁷. See Michigan.
Ohio. A court must order destruction if the dog killed a person or caused serious injury involving, among other things, a substantial risk of death or serious permanent disfigurement ²². See Ohio.
Texas. The court must order a dog destroyed if it killed someone, and may do so for serious bodily injury ²⁶. See Texas.
Rhode Island. A vicious dog that kills a person must be euthanized; one that seriously injures a person may be, on a unanimous vote of the hearing panel ²⁵.
Virginia. A dog found “vicious”, meaning it killed or seriously injured a person or kept up the behavior behind an earlier dangerous-dog finding, must be euthanized ²⁷. See Virginia.

Other states make destruction automatic for a repeat attack or after a criminal conviction. In Georgia, a dog found after notice and hearing to have seriously injured a person on more than one occasion must be euthanized ¹⁰. In Missouri, a dog that bites after an earlier unprovoked bite, or a first-time biter that seriously injures or kills someone, is seized, held ten business days after written notice, and then destroyed unless the owner appeals ¹⁹. In Delaware, a dog already declared dangerous that attacks or injures a person or domestic animal without provocation must be seized and euthanized ⁸.

Criminal cases can carry the same result. After a conviction for a dog that caused serious bodily injury or killed a person or domestic animal, a Colorado court must order it euthanized once appeals are exhausted ⁶. A felony conviction in Hawaii for a bite causing substantial or serious injury or death carries mandatory euthanasia ⁴⁰, and Washington destroys a dog whose attack leads to a felony conviction for severe injury or death ²⁸. Nebraska makes destruction mandatory when a dangerous dog attacks again and its owner has a prior conviction under the dangerous-dog law ⁴⁹. In Pennsylvania, any dog that, through the owner’s intentional, reckless or negligent conduct, causes severe injury or death to a person is ordered seized and destroyed ²⁴. The criminal charges guide covers the owner’s own exposure.

When is it up to the judge?

In many states euthanasia is allowed but never required, and the law tells the judge what to weigh. California allows destruction of a dog declared vicious only if releasing it would create a significant threat to public health, safety and welfare; otherwise the court imposes conditions ³. Maine requires both a serious injury or prior record and a clear threat to public safety ¹⁶.

New York is narrower still. A judge who finds a dog dangerous may order euthanasia or permanent confinement only on an aggravating circumstance, such as an unjustified attack causing serious physical injury or death ²¹. In Illinois, only a circuit judge who declares a dog vicious by clear and convincing evidence has discretion to order it euthanized ¹². New Jersey uses the same standard for a dog that killed a person or caused serious bodily injury without provocation ²⁰.

Some statutes let the judge act on a single serious attack. A Tennessee general sessions judge may order a dog destroyed if it attacked a person and caused death or serious bodily injury, on the district attorney’s petition ⁴³. A Kentucky district court that finds a dog viciously attacked a person off its owner’s premises orders it confined or may order it destroyed ⁴². In Florida, a dog declared dangerous for causing severe injury may be destroyed based on the injury and the risk of a future attack ⁹.

Wisconsin sets a high bar. A court may order a dog killed only if it seriously injured a person or domestic animal on two separate occasions off the owner’s property without reasonable cause, and the owner knew of the first injury before the second ²⁹.

Who makes the decision?

In most states a court decides. A few give the first decision to an agency or a local board, with review by a court:

Connecticut. An animal control officer who confirms a bite or attack may order the dog’s disposal; the owner can appeal to the Superior Court within 45 days of the order or of the pre-appeal meeting statement ⁷.
Massachusetts. The local hearing authority may order a dog it finds dangerous to be euthanized after a public hearing; the owner can petition the district court within 10 days for a new hearing before a judge ¹⁵.
Minnesota. Animal control may destroy a dog that, without provocation, caused substantial or great bodily harm or inflicted multiple bites, but only after a hearing before an impartial decision maker ¹⁸.
Oregon. A county board may order a dog that bit someone killed without a criminal case; the keeper has 10 days after notice to seek a writ of review, and the dog is not killed while review is pending ²³.

West Virginia goes the other way. Only a circuit court or magistrate can order a dog killed, on “satisfactory proof” that it is vicious or dangerous ³⁰. Since Durham v. Jenkins (2012), that order can come only out of a criminal proceeding, not a neighbor’s civil suit ³¹. In State v. Blatt (2015), the court held that the owner need not be convicted and that the judge must weigh the dog’s own behavior, not its breed ³².

Which states leave it to local ordinances?

A number of states have no statewide procedure for destroying a dog after a bite. In those states the power, the hearing and the appeal come from the city or county code where the bite happened. Indiana law expressly preserves local ordinances on the subject ³⁵, and Utah leaves dog regulation, including any destruction power, to municipalities and counties ³⁶. Other examples include Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi and Oklahoma.

Local rules can be strict. In Haggblom v. City of Dillingham (2008), Alaska’s Supreme Court upheld a city rule that a dog that bites without provocation is euthanized, where the owner had notice, a hearing and court review ³³. In City of Onida v. Brandt (2021), South Dakota’s Supreme Court upheld an order letting the sheriff euthanize two dogs that killed a neighbor’s dog after earlier attacks ³⁴. If your state is in this group, the local animal control office or city clerk can provide the ordinance and its appeal deadline.

What rights does the owner have?

Where a statute sets the procedure, the owner almost always gets written notice, a hearing and an appeal. The details that matter most are the deadlines and whether the order is stayed while the appeal runs:

Standard of proof. Illinois, New Jersey and New Mexico require clear and convincing evidence before the most serious orders ¹² ²⁰ ⁴⁸.
Stays. Florida bars destroying a dog while an appeal is pending ⁹. In New York the order cannot be carried out during the 30-day appeal period, and a notice of appeal stays it automatically ²¹. Texas stays every destruction order for 10 days and then while an appeal is pending ²⁶. A Delaware appeal to the Court of Common Pleas, filed within 15 days, stays the order ⁸.
Short deadlines. California allows five days from receipt of the decision to appeal to a new hearing in superior court ⁴. In Louisiana the hearing is held within five days of the petition and the owner has five calendar days to appeal ¹³.
Costs. In Massachusetts, an owner whose dog’s euthanasia order is affirmed pays the town’s impoundment and care costs ¹⁵. Missouri can charge boarding costs during the appeal ¹⁹, and Pennsylvania requires the owner to pay all kenneling and quarantine costs ²⁴.

The dog is often held during the case. A Connecticut officer keeps the dog during any appeal ⁷, and Louisiana allows any dog that, unprovoked, kills or injures a person to be seized pending the hearing ¹⁴.

When is a dog euthanized for rabies testing?

Rabies is a separate track from the dangerous-dog process, run by health departments. CDC’s guidance, updated July 16, 2025, is that a healthy dog that exposes a person is confined and observed for 10 days, even if vaccinated; a dog that becomes ill during that time is euthanized and tested ¹. A stray suspected of rabies that bit someone should be euthanized and tested right away to guide the bitten person’s medical care, though observation may be considered instead ¹. The dog bite quarantine guide covers the observation period.

State rules follow the same pattern with local variations:

Kansas euthanizes and tests a biting dog that shows signs of rabies during its 10-day observation ⁴⁶. A Maryland veterinarian may euthanize a quarantined dog showing possible signs of rabies so it can be tested ⁴⁷.
Mississippi allows immediate euthanasia of a stray or unwanted biting dog ³⁷.
Oklahoma’s health commissioner can order a dog euthanized for testing after multiple severe bites or deep wounds to the face, head or neck ³⁸.
Nevada allows a biting dog that is too ill, shows signs of rabies or is too aggressive to handle safely to be euthanized and tested without quarantine ³⁹.
In Wisconsin, an officer may kill a biting dog that cannot be captured for quarantine, or whose owner breaks the quarantine order ⁴⁵.

For an owner, the practical point is that a vaccinated, healthy, owned dog is normally observed rather than tested. Following the quarantine order matters: in Wisconsin, for example, breaking it allows an officer to kill the dog ⁴⁵.

Every state’s euthanasia rule

The table gives the first sentence of each state’s rule from its state file; the linked dangerous-dog page has the full rule, the hearing and appeal deadlines, and the sources.

When a dog can be ordered destroyed after a bite (state files reviewed October 2026)
State	Rule
Alabama	If a district or municipal court finds a dog dangerous and that it caused serious physical injury or death, it must order the dog euthanized.
Alaska	No state procedure exists.
Arizona	A justice of the peace or city magistrate may order a vicious animal euthanized after notice to the owner and the person bitten and a hearing; the decision can be appealed to the superior court.
Arkansas	No Arkansas statute sets a dangerous-dog hearing or orders a biting dog destroyed; that is left to city and county ordinances.
California	A dog declared vicious after a hearing may be destroyed if releasing it would create a significant threat to public health, safety and welfare; otherwise the court imposes conditions.
Colorado	After a conviction for a dog that caused serious bodily injury to a person, killed a person or domestic animal, or for a second offense with the same dog and owner, the court must order the dog confiscated and euthanized once appeals are exhausted.
Connecticut	An animal control officer who confirms a bite or attack may order the dog's restraint or disposal (euthanasia) to protect public health and safety.
Delaware	The Justice of the Peace Court may direct euthanasia of a dog it declares dangerous.
District of Columbia	The Mayor, acting through District animal control officials, may humanely destroy a dog found to be a threat to public safety if returned, or whose owner fails to register it, follow the confinement rules, pay impound costs within 5 days of a final determination, or surrenders it.
Florida	A dog declared dangerous because it caused severe injury may be destroyed, based on the injury and the risk of a future attack.
Georgia	A dog found after notice and hearing to have caused serious injury to a human on more than one occasion must be euthanized.
Hawaii	A felony conviction under HRS § 711-1144 (a bite causing substantial or serious bodily injury or death) carries mandatory euthanasia of the dog.
Idaho	A court that finds a dog "dangerous" (serious injury, or a new bite or attack after an at-risk finding) may order it humanely put to death.
Illinois	Only a circuit judge who declares a dog vicious, by clear and convincing evidence, has discretion to order it euthanized.
Indiana	No state statute lets a court or agency declare a dog dangerous and order it destroyed.
Iowa	No Iowa statute lets a court order a dog destroyed for biting.
Kansas	No state statute provides for a dangerous-dog hearing or a court-ordered destruction after a bite; that process, if any, comes from city or county ordinance.
Kentucky	After a district court finds that a dog viciously and without cause attacked a person off its owner's or keeper's premises, the court orders it confined or may order it destroyed.
Louisiana	On a petition by the district attorney, sheriff or animal control, a district court holds a hearing within five days.
Maine	After a hearing, a court may order a dangerous dog euthanized only if the dog killed, maimed or seriously injured a person, or has a prior assault or prior dangerous-dog finding, and presents a clear threat to public safety.
Maryland	The state statute contains no euthanasia procedure; destruction orders come from county and city codes.
Massachusetts	After a public hearing, the local hearing authority may order a dog it finds dangerous to be humanely euthanized.
Michigan	On a sworn complaint that a dangerous animal caused serious injury or death to a person or a dog, a district court or magistrate holds a show-cause hearing; if the finding is made, the court must order the dog destroyed at the owner's expense.
Minnesota	Animal control may destroy a dog that, without provocation, caused substantial or great bodily harm, inflicted multiple bites, bit several people in one attack, or bit a person in a multi-dog attack, but only after the owner has had a hearing before an impartial decision maker.
Mississippi	No state statute provides a hearing or court order to destroy a dog after a bite; that is left to city and county ordinances under § 21-19-9 and § 19-5-50.
Missouri	A dog that bites a person after an earlier unprovoked bite, or a first-time biter that seriously injures or kills a person, must be seized by animal control or the sheriff, held ten business days after written notice to the owner, and then destroyed.
Montana	Montana has no statewide dangerous-dog hearing.
Nebraska	A court may order a dangerous dog destroyed "in addition to any other penalty".
Nevada	When a known vicious dog's attack causes substantial bodily harm and the owner is convicted, the judge may order the dog humanely destroyed in place of or on top of the criminal sentence.
New Hampshire	No state hearing procedure for euthanasia exists.
New Jersey	A municipal court that finds by clear and convincing evidence that an unprovoked dog killed a person or caused serious bodily injury declares it vicious and may order it euthanized, though never while an appeal is pending; either side may appeal to the Superior Court, Law Division, which hears the case anew.
New Mexico	After a seizure, if a court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the dog is dangerous and an imminent threat to public safety, or potentially dangerous and a threat, the owner must register it within 30 days or the dog is humanely destroyed.
New York	A judge who finds a dog dangerous may order humane euthanasia or permanent confinement only on an aggravating circumstance: an unjustified attack causing serious physical injury or death, a previous unjustified attack on a person causing serious injury or death, or a serious attack on an animal within two years of an earlier dangerous-dog finding.
North Carolina	Article 1A has no state procedure for destroying a dangerous dog; seizure and euthanasia rules come from city and county programs that § 67-4.5 preserves.
North Dakota	A dog that "habitually molests" people on a public road or street can be declared a public nuisance by a district or municipal judge after a warning and a second complaint, and the judge must then order a peace officer to "kill and bury the dog".
Ohio	A court may order a dangerous or vicious dog destroyed after a designation hearing, and must do so if the dog killed a person or caused serious injury involving a substantial risk of death, permanent incapacity, serious permanent disfigurement or acute pain causing substantial suffering.
Oklahoma	State law has no destruction order for a dangerous dog.
Oregon	A court must order a dog killed when its keeper is convicted of maintaining a dangerous dog, and may order a potentially dangerous dog killed after weighing the ORS 609.093 factors.
Pennsylvania	A dog is ordered seized and destroyed when (1) a declared dangerous dog attacks a person or animal through the owner's intentional, reckless or negligent conduct, (2) any dog, through such conduct, aggressively attacks and causes severe injury or death to a person, or (3) a dangerous-dog violation is repeated.
Rhode Island	A dog declared vicious that kills a person must be euthanized; one that seriously injures a person may be euthanized at the owner's expense on a unanimous vote of the hearing panel.
South Carolina	A court may order a dangerous animal that attacked a person or domestic animal destroyed when, in its judgment, the animal represents a continuing threat of serious harm.
South Dakota	Under SDCL 7-12-29 the sheriff may seize an animal suspected of being dangerous, hold it until a formal determination, and dispose of it if it is found dangerous; when it bit a person or a pet, the determination must include consultation with the Department of Health.
Tennessee	A general sessions judge may order a dog destroyed if it attacked a person and caused death or serious bodily injury.
Texas	After a dog causes death or serious bodily injury, any person can file a sworn complaint; a justice, county or municipal court orders seizure and holds a hearing within 10 days.
Utah	No Utah statute sets a dangerous-dog hearing or authorizes destroying a dog because it bit someone; that power, and any appeal, comes from city and county ordinances.
Vermont	If the town's legislative body finds after a hearing that the dog bit without provocation, it may order the dog "disposed of in a humane way," or muzzled, chained or confined.
Virginia	A court that finds a dog vicious (it killed a person, seriously injured a person, or kept up the behavior that led to an earlier dangerous-dog finding) must order it euthanized.
Washington	Animal control confiscates a dangerous dog that is unregistered, uninsured, not properly enclosed or loose, and destroys it if the problems are not fixed within 20 days of notice.
West Virginia	Only a circuit court or magistrate can order a dog killed.
Wisconsin	A court may order a dog killed if it caused serious injury to a person or domestic animal on two separate occasions off the owner's property without reasonable cause, and the owner knew of the first injury before the second.
Wyoming	"Any animal which attacks any person in a vicious manner may be destroyed," and proof that it bit or attacked someone where they had a legal right to be is evidence that it is vicious.

What an owner can do after a bite

These steps describe the process; they are information, not legal advice.

Read the notice and note the deadline. Hearing requests and appeals often run 5 to 15 days, and some states destroy a seized dog if no appeal is filed in time ⁹ ¹⁹.
Follow the rabies quarantine exactly. A broken quarantine can lead to the dog being killed or seized, as in Wisconsin ⁴⁵.
Ask for the hearing. The hearing is where provocation, trespass, the dog’s history and the severity of the injury are weighed. The provocation and trespass guide explains those defenses.
Bring records. Vaccination and licensing records, prior incident history, enclosure photos and any behavior evaluation can bear on the “threat to public safety” findings that several states require ³ ¹⁶.
Comply with any conditions. In Washington, a dangerous dog whose owner does not fix the registration, insurance or enclosure problems within 20 days of notice is destroyed ²⁸. The dog bite insurance guide covers insurance mandates.
Appeal in time if the order goes against you. Check whether filing the appeal stays the order in your state.

The my dog bit someone guide walks through the full sequence, from the bite report to the civil claim.

What it means for the person bitten

A destruction order does not decide, and is not needed for, an injury claim. The civil claim follows the state’s liability rule and deadline, which the dog bite laws by state guide and the claim checker set out.

Some states let the injured person start the euthanasia case. In Texas, any person can file the sworn complaint ²⁶; in California, any person can ask a court to act after a dog has bitten people on two occasions ⁵; in Wisconsin the injured person or a parent of an injured child can bring the action ²⁹; and in Hawaii a bitten person can ask a district court to order the dog removed or destroyed ⁴¹. Georgia also lets a superior court order euthanasia when a local government sues or the owner was convicted of a related crime ¹¹. Elsewhere the case belongs to animal control or the prosecutor, and the bitten person is usually a witness. Every state’s page is listed on the states index.

Questions

Can my dog be put down while I appeal?

In many states, no. Florida bars destroying a dog while an appeal is pending⁹, a New York notice of appeal stays the order automatically²¹, and Texas stays every destruction order for 10 days and then for as long as the appeal is pending²⁶. Deadlines are short, often 5 to 15 days, so check your state's dangerous-dog page.

Can the person who was bitten ask for the dog to be put down?

In some states. In Texas any person can file the sworn complaint that starts the case²⁶; in California any person can ask a court after a dog bit people on two occasions⁵; in Wisconsin the injured person can bring the action²⁹; and in Hawaii a bitten person can ask a district court to order the dog removed or destroyed⁴¹. Elsewhere the case belongs to animal control or the prosecutor.

Will my dog be put down for biting a child?

The statutes cited in this guide turn on how serious the injury was and on the dog's history, not on the victim's age. A first bite that causes a minor wound rarely leads to a destruction order; a bite that causes serious injury can, in many states²¹⁷²². The child dog bite guide covers the family's claim.

Can a dog be put down because of its breed?

West Virginia's Supreme Court held in State v. Blatt (2015) that a court must judge the dog's own behavior, not its breed³². Many states also bar breed-specific local laws; see the breed-specific legislation guide.

Does putting the dog down end the injury claim?

No. The civil claim for the bite is separate from the euthanasia case. It follows the state's liability rule and deadline, which the statute of limitations guide lists for every state.

Sources

Rabies: Information for Veterinarians, last updated July 16, 2025, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Checked 17 October 2026.
Code of Alabama § 3-6A-4 (dangerous dog investigation and hearing), Alabama Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
California Food and Agricultural Code §§ 31641–31646 (disposition), California Legislative Information. Checked 17 October 2026.
California Food and Agricultural Code §§ 31621–31626 (judicial process), California Legislative Information. Checked 17 October 2026.
California Civil Code § 3342.5, California Legislative Information. Checked 17 October 2026.
C.R.S. § 18-9-204.5, Unlawful ownership of dangerous dog, Colorado Revised Statutes (public.law copy). Checked 17 October 2026.
Connecticut General Statutes § 22-358, Restraint or disposal orders and appeals, Connecticut General Assembly. Checked 17 October 2026.
16 Del. C. ch. 30F, subch. V (§§ 3071F–3081F), Dangerous and Potentially Dangerous Dogs, Delaware General Assembly, Delaware Code Online. Checked 17 October 2026.
Florida Statutes chapter 767, part II, Dangerous Dogs (§§ 767.10–767.16), The Florida Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
O.C.G.A. § 4-8-26 (euthanasia after repeated serious injury), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2022). Checked 17 October 2026.
O.C.G.A. § 4-8-25 (court-ordered euthanasia), Justia (Official Code of Georgia Annotated, 2022). Checked 17 October 2026.
Animal Control Act, 510 ILCS 5, Illinois General Assembly. Checked 17 October 2026.
La. R.S. 14:102.13 (hearing to determine if dog is dangerous or vicious), Louisiana State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
La. R.S. 14:102.18 (seizure and disposition of dogs which cause death or inflict bodily injury), Louisiana State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
Massachusetts General Laws ch. 140, § 157 (nuisance or dangerous dogs), Massachusetts Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
7 M.R.S. § 3952-A, Keeping a dangerous dog or a nuisance dog, Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Checked 17 October 2026.
MCL 287.322, Sworn complaint; destruction of animal; owner orders (as amended by 2022 PA 121), Michigan Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
Minnesota Statutes § 347.56, Destruction of dog in certain circumstances, Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Checked 17 October 2026.
RSMo § 578.024 (keeping a dangerous dog; penalties), Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Checked 17 October 2026.
N.J.S.A. 4:19-16 to 4:19-37, consolidated dog laws (Vicious and Potentially Dangerous Dog Act), Animal Legal & Historical Center, Michigan State University College of Law. Checked 17 October 2026.
N.Y. Agriculture and Markets Law § 123 (Dangerous dogs), New York State Senate. Checked 17 October 2026.
Ohio Revised Code § 955.23, Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Checked 17 October 2026.
ORS 609.090, impounding dogs; county disposition orders, Oregon Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
Dog Law, Act of Dec. 7, 1982, P.L. 784, No. 225 (3 P.S. § 459-101 et seq.), as amended through Act 47 of 2024, Pennsylvania General Assembly. Checked 17 October 2026.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 4-13.1-9, Penalties for violation — Licensing ordinances and fees, Rhode Island General Assembly. Checked 17 October 2026.
Texas Health and Safety Code ch. 822 (regulation of animals; dangerous dogs), Texas Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
Code of Virginia § 3.2-6540.1 (vicious dogs; penalties), Virginia General Assembly. Checked 17 October 2026.
RCW 16.08.100 Dangerous dogs — Confiscation, penalties, affirmative defenses, Washington State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
Wisconsin Statutes § 174.02, Owner's liability for damage caused by dog; penalties; court order to kill, Wisconsin State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
W. Va. Code § 19-20-20, Keeping vicious dogs; humane officers may kill such dogs, West Virginia Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
Durham v. Jenkins, 229 W. Va. 669, 735 S.E.2d 266 (2012), CourtListener (Free Law Project). Checked 17 October 2026.
State v. Blatt, 235 W. Va. 489, 774 S.E.2d 570 (2015), CourtListener (Free Law Project). Checked 17 October 2026.
Haggblom v. City of Dillingham, 191 P.3d 991 (Alaska 2008), Supreme Court of Alaska (CourtListener copy). Checked 17 October 2026.
City of Onida v. Brandt, 2021 S.D. 27, 959 N.W.2d 297, South Dakota Unified Judicial System. Checked 17 October 2026.
Indiana Code 15-20-1 (Liability for Dog Bites), §§ 1–7, Indiana General Assembly. Checked 17 October 2026.
Utah Code § 18-2-101, Regulation of dogs by a municipality, Utah Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
15 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2, Subpt. 11, R. 1.17.14 (rabies control; animals that bite humans), amended 3/13/2022, Legal Information Institute (Mississippi State Department of Health rule). Checked 17 October 2026.
Okla. Admin. Code § 310:599-3-3, Severe bite wounds inflicted, Legal Information Institute (Oklahoma Administrative Code). Checked 17 October 2026.
NAC 441A.415 and 441A.425, Investigation and quarantine of animals that have bitten persons, Nevada Legislature (State Board of Health regulations). Checked 17 October 2026.
Hawaii Revised Statutes § 711-1144 (Negligent failure to control a dangerous dog; penalties), Hawaii State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
Hawaii Revised Statutes § 142-75 (Dogs that bite humans; remedies), Hawaii State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
Kentucky Revised Statutes § 258.235, Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Checked 17 October 2026.
Tennessee Code Annotated §§ 44-8-408, 44-8-413, 44-17-120, 44-17-403 (consolidated dog laws, text as of Jan. 2026), Animal Legal & Historical Center, Michigan State University College of Law. Checked 17 October 2026.
Idaho Code § 25-2810, Dangerous and at-risk dogs, Idaho Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
Wisconsin Statutes § 95.21, Rabies control program, Wisconsin State Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
Rabies Control Requirements (Oct. 19, 2017), Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Checked 17 October 2026.
COMAR 10.06.02.07 (quarantine of dogs, cats and ferrets), Maryland Division of State Documents. Checked 17 October 2026.
Dangerous Dog Act, Laws 2005, ch. 61 (SB 432), NMSA 1978, §§ 77-1A-1 to -6, New Mexico Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 54-623 (dangerous dogs: effect of conviction), Nebraska Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.

Dog Bite Euthanasia Laws: Will My Dog Be Put Down?