Peoria, AZ Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Under Sec. 16-15(a), any person having reasonable belief that an animal is vicious may petition a justice of the peace or the municipal court for a determination that the animal is vicious, and the municipal court can assign the case to a civil hearing officer. The hearing is informal, open to the public, and decided on a preponderance of the evidence; an owner who does not appear after notice waives the right to present evidence and the court treats the petition's allegations as admitted, per Sec.

16-15(b). The court can consolidate the civil viciousness petition with a related criminal case under Sec. 16-15(c). Once an animal is found vicious, Sec. 16-16(a) lets the court enter any order it deems necessary to protect the public, and it keeps continuing jurisdiction over the case for up to three years to make sure the orders are followed. The listed remedies include posting a 'Danger: Vicious Animal' sign in letters at least three inches tall, requiring the owner to carry public liability insurance of at least $50,000 per incident, ordering the animal destroyed or removed from the premises, requiring secure indoor confinement or a locked pen except when leashed or muzzled, ordering the animal spayed, neutered or tattooed for identification, ordering it defanged, declawed or debarked, and assessing the cost of the proceeding against the owner.

None of this depends on the animal's breed: the trigger is a demonstrated propensity to attack or a prior declaration after a hearing, per the Sec. 16-1 definition.