Washington County, UT Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Section 5-3B-1 defines 'vicious or dangerous dog' as any dog that attacks, bites or physically injures a person, domestic animal or livestock without adequate provocation, or that has, because of temperament or training, a known propensity to do so; any wild dog, or any dog that has bitten or attacked without provocation, is presumed vicious under the same definition. Section 5-3B-9(A) then makes it 'unlawful for any person to own or possess a vicious dog' outright, a flat ownership ban rather than a licensing or muzzle-and-fence regime.

While a prosecution is pending, the dog may not be redeemed from impound while the case is unresolved. Section 5-3B-9(B) gives the court, on conviction, authority to order the county to euthanize the dog or to order 'such other disposition of the dog as will protect the inhabitants of the county,' leaving alternatives such as permanent removal from the county on the table at the judge's discretion. This is a behavior-based standard, not a breed list: a dog is judged on documented bites, attacks or trained aggression rather than on its breed or appearance, so no breed is named or singled out anywhere in this chapter.