York County, SC Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

C. ' Under § 47-3-710(A), an animal of the canine or feline family is dangerous only if the owner knew or should have known it had a propensity to attack unprovoked, if it actually made an unprovoked attack causing bodily injury outside its confinement area, or if it is kept or trained for fighting. Section 47-3-710(C) is explicit that 'an animal is not a "dangerous animal" solely by virtue of its breed or species,' so York County cannot add a pit bull, Rottweiler or other breed to a banned list and treat ownership alone as a violation.

The statute also carves out exceptions: animals used exclusively for agricultural purposes and animals that attack a trespasser are not dangerous animals under § 47-3-710(B). 'Injury' or 'bodily injury' is defined in § 47-3-710(E) to mean broken bones, lacerations, punctures of the skin, or any physical injury resulting in death, a threshold that keeps minor nips from triggering a dangerous-animal case. Once an animal is declared dangerous, § 47-3-720 requires the owner to keep it confined indoors or in a securely enclosed, locked and clearly marked pen whenever it's on the owner's property, and § 47-3-730 requires it to be muzzled and safely restrained if taken off the property.