Rapid City, SD Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

010(AA) defines a potentially dangerous animal the same way, by aggressive history or behavior. An Animal Control Officer can open an investigation on personal observation or a sworn written complaint, and must notify the owner either way; the officer has two business days to begin investigating a citizen complaint. If the officer finds the animal potentially dangerous, the owner must comply with a long list of conditions under subsection J: the animal may only leave its enclosure on a leash no longer than 4 feet, must wear a properly fitted muzzle whenever outside the enclosure except for vet care or exercise, must be kept in a secure, weatherproofed enclosure with a solid bottom or sides sunk at least a foot into the ground, must be sterilized before a permit issues, must complete a 4-week obedience class within 8 weeks, and the owner must carry an annual permit costing $100 and display a red tag and fluorescent-green vest on the animal.

Owners and complainants can appeal an Animal Control Officer's finding to the city's Dangerous Animal Review Board, made up of a physician, a veterinarian and a law enforcement officer, and from there to circuit court. Failing to comply with the potentially-dangerous conditions is a Class II misdemeanor, and a noncompliant animal is seized and destroyed on the second business day after seizure. Any animal finally declared dangerous, rather than potentially dangerous, must be destroyed, and possessing a dangerous animal in the city is itself a Class II misdemeanor.