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

Walker County Code § 6-86(a) defines the classification levels entirely by conduct. A dog is dangerous if it punctures skin without serious injury (a nip, scratch, or abrasion does not count), aggressively attacks in a way that would make a person reasonably believe it posed an imminent threat of serious injury even without actual injury (barking, growling, or showing teeth alone does not count), or kills a domestic animal off its owner's property, unless it was working as a hunting, herding, or predator control dog.

A dog is vicious if it inflicts a serious injury on a person, or causes one through reasonable attempts to escape its attack. No breed is named anywhere in the classification criteria. Under Section 6-86(a)(3), pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 4-8-26, a dog found after notice and hearing to have caused serious injury to a human on more than one occasion must be euthanized. Once classified, Section 6-87 requires an owner to obtain a Certificate of Registration and keep the dog in a secure enclosure at least 10 feet from all property lines, post warning signs, and, if the dog leaves the property, muzzle it and restrain it with a leash or chain no more than six feet long, or keep it in a locked cage or crate.

The Animal Control Officer classifies the dog, and an owner may appeal to the Animal Control Board within 15 days of the classification notice under Section 6-86(e).