Madera County, CA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Madera County's published Animal Services materials do not identify any breed-specific ban—such as a pit bull or Rottweiler prohibition—for the unincorporated areas. Instead, the County addresses problem dogs through behavior-based enforcement: anyone who encounters or has problems with an aggressive dog can file a complaint with Madera County Animal Services, and officers investigate each complaint and take appropriate action against the owner. This conduct-based approach is consistent with California state law. The California Food and Agricultural Code governs potentially dangerous and vicious dogs and provides that no dog may be declared potentially dangerous or vicious based solely on its breed; any local breed-related rule may regulate things like mandatory spay/neuter or breeding but may not authorize breed-specific bans on ownership. Because Madera County Animal Services does not advertise a breed ban, owners of all breeds are subject to the same general rules: keep the dog confined to the property, leash it off the property, license it, and prevent it from running at large or behaving aggressively. Owners of any dog that bites or behaves dangerously may face escalating consequences regardless of breed, and bite incidents trigger quarantine procedures (with a 14-day quarantine where livestock are involved). If you are concerned about a specific breed rule, confirm directly with Madera County Animal Services, since no breed-specific ordinance appears in the County's public materials.