Tangipahoa Parish, LA Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Section 10-80 defines a dangerous dog as one that, unprovoked, twice in 36 months forces a defensive action to prevent injury, bites a person causing injury even once, or twice in 36 months seriously injures another domestic animal off its owner's property. A vicious dog is one that, unprovoked, inflicts serious bodily injury on or kills a human being after already being determined dangerous. Section 10-81(h) makes it unlawful to own a dangerous dog without properly restraining or confining it, and unlawful to own a vicious dog at all regardless of how it's housed.

Getting to either finding requires a hearing: the district attorney, sheriff, animal control officer or other designated representative files a petition in district court, and once a dog is judicially declared vicious and found to pose a significant threat to public health, safety or welfare, the court may bar that owner or residential address from owning, possessing or having custody of any dog for up to three years. Section 10-84(c) separately requires any dog already declared dangerous or vicious to be confined in a building or secure enclosure with a posted warning sign, and muzzled or caged whenever off the owner's premises; if it's found at large after written notice of the declaration, it's automatically a public nuisance subject to prompt impoundment.