Prince William County, VA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Under Sec. 4-12, an officer who believes a dog is dangerous applies to a magistrate for a summons requiring the owner to appear in general district court. The officer cannot seek a summons if a companion-animal bite caused no serious injury, both animals share an owner, the incident happened on the biting dog's own property, or a human injury was only a minor scratch or abrasion. The court can only adjudicate a dog dangerous, under a beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard, if the evidence shows it killed or seriously injured a companion dog or cat, or directly caused a person a laceration, broken bone, or substantial puncture wound.

Sec. 4-12(k) then lists six defenses that block a dangerous finding regardless of breed: a fixed-breed classification alone; the victim was committing a crime or trespass on the dog owner's property; the victim was provoking, tormenting or abusing the dog; the dog is an on-duty police dog; the dog was responding to pain, injury, or protecting itself, its offspring, its owner, or property during lawful hunting or handling events; or the court otherwise finds, on the totality of the evidence, the dog is not a threat.

If the court does adjudicate a dog dangerous, Sec. 4-12(i) lets it order compliance with Sec. 4-13's confinement, insurance, and registration duties, restitution to injured parties, and payment of the county's custody costs. A minor owner's parent or guardian bears the compliance duty under Sec. 4-12(l).