Doña Ana County, NM Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

A ties dangerous-dog regulation directly to state law: an owner of a dangerous or potentially dangerous dog must comply with the Dangerous Dog Act, NMSA 1978, § 77-1A-2 et seq. The ordinance contains no breed list and no presumption based on breed; the determination turns on the dog's conduct. B, Animal Control Officers can apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for a warrant to seize a dog believed to be dangerous or potentially dangerous, and can file a petition asking a court to formally determine that status and grant any further relief the Dangerous Dog Act allows, meaning the classification is a judicial finding, not an administrative label.

G requires annual registration: $250 per dog per year for a potentially dangerous dog and $300 per dog per year for a dangerous dog, on top of whatever conditions a court imposes (secure enclosure, muzzling, liability insurance, and similar terms typically flow from the state Act itself rather than the county ordinance). As with all of Chapter 134, this reaches only the unincorporated county; Las Cruces, Mesilla, Sunland Park and Hatch run separate dog ordinances under their own municipal codes.