South Bend, IN Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Sec. 5-38 sets a behavior-based process, not a breed list. When an Animal Welfare Officer or law enforcement officer finds probable cause that an animal is potentially dangerous or vicious, the SBARC manager requests a hearing before the Animal Welfare Commission, held within 10 calendar days and open to the public, with written notice served on the owner by certified mail or in person. If probable cause shows an immediate threat to public safety, the animal can be seized and impounded pending the hearing. Once declared potentially dangerous, an animal must be kept indoors or in a five-sided secured enclosure at all times on the owner's property, and off-property only while muzzled and on a leash no longer than 6 feet under a responsible adult's control.

A vicious declaration triggers tighter confinement: a locked, inspected, five-sided enclosure with adequate light, ventilation and sanitation, and any time outside the enclosure the animal must be muzzled on a leash no longer than 3 feet with a handgrip. Owners must post visible warning signs at every property entry point and on the enclosure itself, and carry at least $300,000 in liability insurance plus a microchip on file with Animal Welfare. A declared animal cannot be bred and must be sterilized within 14 days unless a veterinarian certifies it is medically unable.

Owners may appeal a Commission decision to the St. Joseph Circuit Court within 10 calendar days, or request reconsideration of the designation once per year.