Eugene, OR Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Basis
- Behavior levels 1-5, not breed
- Level 4-5
- Must be muzzled and leashed off-property
- License
- Separate potentially dangerous dog license required
- Appeal
- 10 days to appeal to hearings official
- Level 5
- Dog impounded pending appeal; may be euthanized
Summary
Eugene has no breed-based dog ban: EC 4.435 classifies a dog as 'potentially dangerous' purely on what it did, sorted into five escalating behavior levels from menacing livestock up to killing or seriously injuring a person. A Level 4 or 5 dog must be muzzled and leashed off-property, and a Level 5 dog can be euthanized by court order. Current through Ordinance 20739.
(1) The purpose of this section is to establish a procedure whereby dogs that pose a reasonably significant threat of causing serious injury to humans, domestic animals or livestock or property are identified and subjected to precautionary restrictions in order to prevent initial or additional injuries.
(a) Level 1 behavior is established if a dog at large is found to menace, chase, display threatening or aggressive behavior or otherwise threaten or endanger the safety of any domestic animal or livestock.
(b) Level 2 behavior is established if a dog at large is found to menace, chase, display threatening or aggressive behavior or otherwise threaten or endanger the safety of any person or service animal. ...
(d) Level 4 behavior is established if a dog, whether or not confined, bites or causes physical injury to any person or service animal.
(e) Level 5 behavior is established if: 1. A dog, whether or not confined, causes the serious injury or death of any person or service animal; or ...
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 20739, passed June 8, 2026).
Full Breakdown
435(1) sets out five behavior levels rather than any list of breeds. Level 1 covers a dog at large that 'menace[s], chase[s], display[s] threatening or aggressive behavior' toward livestock or another domestic animal; Level 2 is the same conduct directed at a person or service animal; Level 3 is a dog at large that bites or injures livestock; Level 4 is a bite or injury to a person or service animal, whether or not the dog was confined; and Level 5 covers a death or serious injury to a person, a dog that kills livestock or another domestic animal while at large, a dog trained to fight, or a repeat Level 3 offender. 405. 395. 440(2), and a Level 5 dog is impounded pending that appeal.
Violations & Fines
EC 4.445(2) makes it unlawful to own a dog in violation of its classification restrictions or a hearings official's order, and a Level 4 or 5 dog that reoffends can be euthanized by order of the municipal court judge or hearings official. Because EC 4.435, 4.440 and 4.445 aren't in the EC 4.990 fine table, a straight violation defaults to EC 4.995: up to a $500 fine, 100 days in jail, or both, per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Eugene ban pit bulls or other dog breeds?
What restrictions apply to a dog classified as potentially dangerous?
Can I appeal if my dog is classified as dangerous?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Eugene
How Eugene compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·Compare Eugene to another location·View the Oregon animal ordinances overview
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