Cecil County, MD Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Rather than naming any breed, § 142-12 of the Code of Cecil County reproduces the State's dangerous-dog statute as County law: a "dangerous dog" is one that, without provocation, kills or inflicts severe injury on a person, or is first determined by the County to be "potentially dangerous" after biting a person, killing or severely injuring a domestic animal off its owner's real property, or attacking without provocation. The section exempts dogs owned by governmental or law-enforcement units and does not apply to breed at all; the trigger is documented behavior.

Once a dog is dangerous, an owner may not leave it unattended outside unless confined indoors, in a securely enclosed and locked pen, or in another restraining structure, and may not let it leave the property unless leashed and muzzled or otherwise securely restrained and muzzled. An owner who sells or gives away a dangerous dog must notify both the County authority and the new owner in writing of its history. Cecil's own dangerous-dog declaration process under §142-9 layers on top of §142-12 and lists specific defenses, including injuries to a trespasser, to an animal that was tormenting the dog, or to a dog working as a hunting, herding or predator-control dog on its owner's property, none of which reference breed.