Montgomery County, VA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg, dog regulation in unincorporated Montgomery County runs through Chapter 3, Article V, Dangerous or Vicious Dogs, Sections 3-50 through 3-56. A dog becomes a dangerous dog only after a law enforcement or animal control officer applies to a magistrate for a summons and the Montgomery County General District Court holds a hearing and finds, based on the dog's own bite, attack or injury to a person, cat or dog, that it meets the statutory definition in Section 3-50. Once so found, the owner must obtain a dangerous dog registration certificate within thirty days for a one hundred fifty dollar fee, renewed annually by January 31 for eighty-five dollars, and must keep the animal spayed or neutered, confined in a proper enclosure or muzzled and leashed off the property, covered by at least one hundred thousand dollars of liability insurance or a surety bond, posted with warning signs, and permanently identified by microchip under Section 3-52.

A vicious dog finding under Section 3-56, reserved for dogs that killed or seriously injured a person or repeated dangerous-dog behavior, can lead to court-ordered euthanasia. Critically, Section 3-54's exemptions and Section 3-56 both state that no dog may be found dangerous or vicious, and no breed's ownership may be prohibited, solely because of its breed. Both sections also exempt dogs that were provoked, protecting their kennel or owner, responding to a crime or trespass on the owner's property, or acting as police dogs on duty.