Wayne County, NC Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

S. S. 1(c); the hearings follow the state statute's procedures. Once a dog is declared dangerous or potentially dangerous, Section 10-8(a) makes it unlawful for the owner to keep it unconfined or unrestrained. Under Section 10-8(b), the owner receives written notice to confine the dog in a humane, secure enclosure and must post a warning sign on that enclosure no larger than one foot by two feet, which the code treats as an incidental sign under the county's separate zoning ordinance. Section 10-8(c) gives the owner 30 days from notification to build the enclosure, and the dog must be kept under constant restraint on the owner's property during that window.

Section 10-8(d) authorizes an animal control officer to confiscate the dog and hold it at the owner's expense if the deadline passes without a secure enclosure, with written notice that the county may dispose of the animal if the owner still has not complied 30 days after confiscation; a compliant owner can redeem the dog within 30 days of confiscation by paying all boarding and care fees. Section 10-8(e) applies the same confinement, notice and confiscation rules to any dog or animal being trained to attack, and Section 10-9 separately requires that all bite-training happen inside a secure enclosure with the owner or trainer present.