Moore County, NC Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Moore County Code Section 4-4 controls dangerous animals by individual behavior determination, not by breed. Subsection (a) makes it unlawful to keep any 'vicious, fierce or dangerous domestic animal' in the county unless it is confined in a secure building or enclosure, or restrained by a leash or similar device and firmly under control at all times. Subsection (b) puts the vicious determination in the hands of the animal operations director or a designee, applying the Section 4-1 definition of 'vicious dog': one that constitutes a physical threat, attacks without provocation off the owner's property, has a known tendency toward unprovoked attack, or is trained for fighting.

Once a dog is declared vicious, subsection (c) requires the owner to keep it inside a secure enclosure with a fence at least six feet high, an enclosed top, a concrete floor with wire set into the concrete, and a secure, lockable door or gate. The owner must also post a warning sign with international symbols visible from all four sides of the property, and must notify an animal control officer immediately if the vicious dog escapes or attacks a person or another animal. Because the determination is discretionary and behavior-based rather than tied to breed, a dog of any breed can be declared vicious under this section, and the enclosure, signage and notification duties apply regardless of breed. Violations draw the Chapter 4 general penalty under Section 4-10.