Howard County, IN Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Howard County's animal ordinance does not ban dogs by breed; it works through a behavior-based classification made by the Department of Animal Services, which the code defines as the county's animal care and control department operated through the Kokomo Humane Society. 01 if it has aggressively bitten, attacked, or inflicted severe injury or death on a person, has been used or trained for dog fighting, or has already been listed as a potentially dangerous dog and continues to show behavior warranting the higher classification. 03(F), the owner must obtain a secure enclosure and post a warning sign reading 'Beware of Dog' in letters at least two inches high at every entry point, carry a minimum $50,000 liability insurance policy filed with the Department, keep the dog muzzled and on a leash no longer than six feet whenever it leaves the enclosure unless it stays inside a secured perimeter fence under the owner's sight, and have the dog microchipped with a current photo on file.

The dog may not be chained or tethered outside its enclosure unattended, and the owner must consent to periodic inspections. 03(E), owning, keeping, or harboring a dog that has already reached the full DANGEROUS DOG classification is unlawful outright in the unincorporated county, subject only to an exception for animals under law enforcement or military control. 03(G); a third violation triggers automatic seizure and impoundment, and a court may order the dog forfeited or destroyed if it causes serious injury.