Mount Pleasant, SC Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 90.30, Dangerous and Vicious Animals Prohibited
- Standard used
- Behavior-based, not breed-based
- Who decides
- Animal Control Officer, appointed by Chief of Police
- Appeal window
- 5 working days to Town Administrator
- If upheld
- Animal disposed of in a humane manner
- General penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 30 days jail
Summary
The Town of Mount Pleasant does not ban dogs by breed. Under § 90.30 of the Code of Ordinances, any animal the Animal Control Officer declares dangerous or vicious based on its own conduct, not its breed, is barred from being owned, kept or harbored in town. Owners get five working days to appeal to the Town Administrator before the animal is disposed of.
VICIOUS ANIMAL. As follows. (1) An animal: (a) With a known propensity, tendency, or disposition to attack unprovoked, to cause injury to, or to otherwise endanger the safety of humans or domestic pets; or (b) Which attacks, bites or otherwise injures a human being or other domestic animal without provocation; or (c) Which is trained or used to fight or to attack humans. ... § 90.30 DANGEROUS AND VICIOUS ANIMALS PROHIBITED. (A) It shall be unlawful for any person to own or in any way maintain, harbor or keep any animal which is dangerous as described in § 90.29 (B)(3) above, or that is vicious as defined in this chapter. ... (B) Any person who owns an animal that has been declared dangerous or vicious by the Animal Control Officer shall have the right to appeal this decision to the Town Administrator ... within five working days after the Animal Control Officer's determination that the animal is dangerous or vicious. ... If the Town Administrator or his/her designee determines the animal to be dangerous or vicious, then the animal shall be disposed of in a humane manner. ... § 10.99 GENERAL PENALTY. (A) ... the offender shall be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned for not more than 30 days.
Full Breakdown
Mount Pleasant regulates animal danger by behavior, not breed. 01 as one with a known propensity to attack unprovoked, one that has actually bitten or injured a person or domestic animal without provocation, or one trained or used to fight or attack humans; the definition carves out dogs owned by a governmental entity. Nothing in the definition turns on breed. 29(B)(3) (habitually chasing, biting or attacking) or vicious as defined above, except when the animal was provoked by someone unlawfully on its owner's premises. 85.
An owner who disagrees has a narrow window: a written request for a hearing must reach the Town Administrator's office within five working days of the officer's determination. The Town Administrator or a designee then holds the hearing and either returns the animal to the owner, if found not dangerous or vicious, or orders the animal disposed of in a humane manner if the determination is upheld. Because the process runs through the Animal Control Officer and Town Administrator rather than a breed list, a dog cannot be seized or restricted here solely because of its breed.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a declared dangerous or vicious animal in town after the determination is upheld is a violation carrying the Code's general penalty in § 10.99: a fine of up to $500, imprisonment up to 30 days, or both, with each day of continued violation treated as a separate offense. An owner who misses the five-working-day appeal window loses the right to a hearing before the Town Administrator, and the animal is disposed of once the determination stands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mount Pleasant ban specific dog breeds?
Who decides if my dog is dangerous or vicious?
What happens if the dangerous-animal finding is upheld?
What is the penalty for keeping a declared dangerous animal?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mount Pleasant
How Mount Pleasant compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·Compare Mount Pleasant to another location·View the South Carolina animal ordinances overview
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Breed Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Charleston County handle breed restrictions.