Valencia County, NM Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

069 governs dangerous and vicious animals by individual conduct rather than by breed. A secure enclosure must be a fenced, locked area or structure that keeps out the public, including children, prevents the animal's escape, and is clearly marked as containing a dangerous animal, with specifications set by the Animal Control Director and County Manager (division (A)). Any complaint, whether from a resident or an officer's own observation, triggers an investigation, after which the officer either declares the animal dangerous or vicious and notifies the owner, or closes the case for insufficient evidence, with the option to reopen later (divisions (B)-(C)).

A dangerous-animal declaration notice must spell out the owner's right to appeal, the appeal deadline, the compliance requirements to keep the animal at the residence, and the compliance deadline (division (C)(2)). Within 30 days of learning of the declaration, the owner must register the animal with animal control, obtain at least $100,000 in liability insurance or equivalent financial responsibility, build the required secure enclosure, keep the animal leashed and under control when it isn't enclosed, and have it sterilized (division (G)). If the owner can't sufficiently contain the animal during the appeal or compliance period, the county can seek a warrant to seize it and hold it at the shelter at the owner's expense until compliance, appeal, or a court order (division (D)).

No one may knowingly sell, offer for sale, breed, or attempt to buy a dangerous animal within the county, and a declared dangerous animal can't be moved to another jurisdiction without the Animal Control Director's prior approval (divisions (H)-(I)). A vicious-animal finding is stricter still: that animal may not be returned to its owner once a court upholds the declaration (division (F)(1)).