Pope County, AR Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Pope County Code § 700.00 sets out the county's Vicious Dog Regulations for unincorporated Pope County. Rather than banning specific breeds, the section defines 'Vicious Dog' by behavior: a dog that unprovoked approaches a person in an apparent attitude of attack on a street, sidewalk or public ground; a dog with a known propensity or disposition to attack, injure or endanger people or domestic animals; a dog that bites, injures, assaults or attacks a person or domestic animal without provocation on public or private property; or a dog owned or harbored, even in part, for dogfighting or trained for it.

The section carves out protections for the dog too: no dog can be declared vicious for injuring someone who was trespassing, tormenting or assaulting the dog, or committing a crime, and no dog is vicious for protecting a person from an unjustified attack. An owner, custodian or person with control of a vicious or nuisance dog cannot let it go unconfined onto another person's property or a public right-of-way; confinement means indoors or in a locked pen with sides at least six feet high or a secure top, buried at least a foot into the ground if there is no floor, with a 'Beware of Dog' sign at least 8 1/2 by 12 inches posted on the enclosure.

A first conviction for violating the vicious-dog portion of § 700.00 draws a fine of $500 to $750 plus court costs, restitution and impoundment costs; a second offense within twelve months draws $750 to $1,000; a third or later offense within twelve months draws $1,000 to $1,500, and the convicting court can order the dog humanely destroyed. Law enforcement can impound a suspected vicious dog immediately at the owner's expense and must notify the owner within five days.