Elko County, NV Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Section 7-2-12 of the Elko County Code does not list breeds. Subsection (A) defines a dangerous dog as a dog with the propensity to bite human beings, and makes it prima facie evidence of danger if the dog has bitten any person, unless that person was trespassing on the owner's property. The Board of County Commissioners adopted the section in Ordinance 1994-A and amended it in Ordinance 2021-02 on September 1, 2021.

Subsection (B) requires an owner who knows the dog has bitten a human being to inform the Animal Control Officer immediately, and requires strict compliance with Section 7-3-1 et seq., the rabies control chapter administered by the Elko County Sheriff's Department. If a dog bites a human being on a second occasion, subsection (C) requires the dog to be kept at all times in a secure dog tight pen that the Animal Control Officer has inspected and approved. A dog held in the animal shelter is not released until the officer approves the pen. An owner who refuses to provide the pen can appeal under Section 7-2-14(B) to the Board of County Commissioners, which sets the hearing within forty five days.

Subsection (D) restricts the dog license whenever a dog is found to be dangerous, and requires the owner to keep the dog continuously in the approved pen. A dog whose license has been restricted on that ground is destroyed forthwith if it is found or observed out of the pen. Subsection (F) goes further for serious attacks: if an animal attacks a person and the attack results in substantial bodily harm as defined by NRS 0.060, the animal must be immediately surrendered to the animal control officer, destroyed in a humane manner and tested for rabies, unless the person attacked was trespassing. Subsection (E) states these are minimum standards that do not supersede stricter or additional requirements imposed by the Nevada Revised Statutes.