Pitt County, NC Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

The Animal Services Director determines whether a dog is dangerous or vicious under Part IV, Section 3, mailing the written determination certified return-receipt to owner and complainant; the owner can appeal to the Animal Services Advisory Board within three business days, get a quasi-judicial hearing within ten business days, and further appeal to Pitt County Superior Court within ten days of the Board's ruling. Section 4 requires registration within five days of a dangerous determination (or ten days for a dog transported in from another jurisdiction already declared dangerous), a permanent ID by chip, tattoo, microchip or brand, a Director-issued, non-transferable permit valid up to three years, annual proof of at least $100,000 in liability insurance or a surety bond, and periodic Director inspections; every day without required insurance is a separate violation, and the Director may suspend a permit without hearing for up to 30 days if there is an imminent threat, or revoke it after notice and hearing.

Section 6 sets confinement: on the owner's property the dog must be in a building with exits fastened shut, or in a locked, escape-proof enclosure (an underground electric fence does not count), or leashed no longer than four feet and muzzled if outside those; it must be sterilized within ten days of the determination, and a 2-foot-by-2-foot "BEWARE OF DOG" sign is required. Vicious dogs may not be kept or harbored in the county at all except in narrow circumstances set out in Section 6(C).