Ouachita Parish, LA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Ouachita Parish's dog ordinance does not single out any breed. Section 3-47(a) instead authorizes the animal control authority to find and declare a dog dangerous or potentially dangerous if there is probable cause to believe the animal falls within the definitions in Section 3-42, basing the finding on a citizen's written complaint, dog bite reports filed with the animal control officer, an officer's own witnessed observations, or other substantial evidence including the dog's history. Section 3-42 defines 'potentially dangerous dog' as one that, unprovoked, bites a human other than its owner or a domestic animal, or chases or approaches a person in a menacing fashion; 'dangerous dog' covers a dog that has inflicted severe injury without provocation, killed a domestic animal off the owner's property, or reoffended after a prior potentially-dangerous finding.

The declaration must be served in writing by certified mail, personal service, or newspaper publication under Section 3-47(b), and must state the animal's description, the owner's address, the facts supporting the finding, restrictions imposed, and the owner's right to request a hearing within five days. Section 3-48 gives the owner five business days to demand a hearing before a three-member panel appointed by the police jury president, with the animal control department bearing the burden of proof by a preponderance of the evidence, and a further appeal to the courts within 30 days of the panel's written decision.