Rockdale County, GA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Article 5 of Chapter 18 defines the two classifications by conduct, not breed. Code § 18-41 defines a "dangerous dog" as one that causes a substantial skin puncture without serious injury, aggressively attacks in a way that would make a reasonable person believe it posed an imminent threat of serious injury, or kills a pet animal while off its owner's property; a "vicious dog" is one that inflicts serious injury on a person or causes serious injury during a reasonable attempt to escape its attack.

A nip, scratch or abrasion, or mere barking, growling or showing teeth, is expressly not enough to classify a dog under § 18-41. Once classified after the notice-and-hearing procedure in § 18-45, an owner must obtain a certificate of registration under § 18-46: the dog must be spayed or neutered within 30 days, kept in a secure, sign-posted enclosure, implanted with a scannable microchip, and covered by liability insurance of at least $100,000 for a dangerous dog or $300,000 for a vicious dog. Off the owner's property, § 18-47 requires a classified dog to be muzzled and on a leash no longer than six feet under a capable handler's control, or contained in a locked cage or crate; no owner may keep more than one classified dog. § 4-8-29(d).