Pennsylvania state law prohibits municipalities from enacting breed-specific legislation that restricts dogs solely based on their breed or appearance.
The Pennsylvania Dog Law (3 P.S. Sec. 459-507-A) explicitly preempts municipalities from passing or enforcing ordinances that target specific breeds of dogs. No city, township, or borough may declare any dog dangerous or restrict ownership based solely on breed. Instead, dangerous dog determinations must follow the statewide criteria in Section 502-A based on individual behavior. This preemption has been upheld in cases including Commonwealth v. Hake. Breed-neutral regulations and individual dangerous dog hearings remain valid.
Municipal breed-specific ordinances are unenforceable. Affected owners can challenge enforcement in court and may recover legal costs against municipalities enforcing invalid bans.
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