Howard County does not ban any dog breed. Maryland repealed its pit-bull-specific liability rule in 2014, and dog liability is now applied "without regard to the breed or heritage of the dog." County rules target a dog's behavior, not its breed.
There is no breed-specific ban in Howard County. After the 2012 Tracey v. Solesky decision singled out pit bulls, the Maryland General Assembly passed a 2014 law (codified at Courts & Judicial Proceedings §3-1901) that expressly restored breed-neutral dog-liability standards. Howard County's animal control law regulates dogs by conduct, declaring a dog "potentially dangerous" or "dangerous" (County Code Sec. 17.303) based on bites and attacks, not breed. Owners of a declared dangerous dog face confinement, muzzling and other restrictions imposed by the Animal Control Administrator. No pit-bull or other breed is prohibited countywide, including in Columbia and Ellicott City.
Failing to follow confinement and control restrictions on a declared dangerous or potentially dangerous dog is enforced by Howard County Animal Control with citations, impoundment, and possible court action; owners remain civilly liable for injuries the dog causes.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Howard County allows residential backyard composting and actively promotes it. The county runs a Feed the Green Bin curbside food-scrap collection and sells ...
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Howard County has no ordinance specifically prohibiting or requiring artificial turf for residential yards. Synthetic lawns are generally allowed, but becaus...
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Howard County places no restriction on planting native or pollinator gardens. Maryland's low-impact landscaping law (House Bill 322, 2021) bars homeowners as...
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Howard County does not ban rainwater harvesting. Rain barrels and cisterns are legal and actively promoted through the county's Live Green Howard and stormwa...
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Howard County has no year-round odd/even watering ban. Water use is limited only when the state declares a drought. Under Maryland's Level One Mandatory Rest...
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Howard County's adopted Property Maintenance Code requires exterior premises to be kept free of weeds and rank plant growth, but it applies only to rental an...
See how Howard County's breed restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
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