Burlington, NC Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Section 6-22 lets the Animal Services Director declare a dog dangerous or potentially dangerous using the definitions in Section 6-2, and that declaration must issue in writing within ten working days of the incident that triggered it. An owner who disagrees has ten business days from notice to file a written appeal with the city's Animal Appeals Board, which must schedule a hearing within ten days of the filing. Once a dog is declared, it is illegal to keep it in Burlington without a confinement permit from the Animal Services Department, and the owner must submit a complete application within five business days of the final determination or remove the dog from the city.

Before the department will issue the permit, the dog must be currently vaccinated against rabies under G.S. 130A-185, spayed or neutered (unless a veterinarian certifies the surgery would endanger the animal's life), implanted with a microchip registered with the department, and kept in a secure, inspected enclosure that meets G.S. 67-4.2 and Section 6-22(f). The owner pays a nonrefundable permit fee set by the city council, must renew annually, and has thirty days from approval to satisfy every permit condition. Once permitted, the dog may only be on its owner's premises, on private property with the owner's authorization, at a licensed veterinarian, or being transported by vehicle; anywhere else it must be muzzled and on a handheld leash under a competent adult's control, since voice command does not count as restraint.

An unpermitted dangerous dog found at large, unconfined, or outside those approved locations is seized and impounded, and a dog whose owner keeps violating this section while it remains a public-safety threat can be removed by court order under subsection (j).