§ 459-505-A. Public safety and penalties
Summary: Law that governs penalities for offenses, negligence, and noncompliance by owners of dangerous dogs. Download .pdf | .doc Version
Pennsylvania Vicious Dog Statutes – § 459-504-A. Control of dangerous dogs
§ 459-504-A. Control of dangerous dogs
Summary: Statute requiring owners or keepers of a dangerous dog to keep dangerous dogs in proper enclosures unless the dog is muzzled and restrained by a substantial chain or leash and under physical restraint of a responsible person. Download .pdf |...
Pennsylvania Dog Laws – § 459-503-A. Registration Requirements
§ 459-503-A. Requirements
Summary: Details the legal requirements for owners of dangerous dogs including registration, fees, insurance, notices, and other legal responsibilities. Download .pdf | .doc Version
Pennsylvania Dangerous Dogs: Dog Bite / Attack Statutes – § 459-502.
§ 459-502. Dog bites; detention and isolation of dogs
Summary: Laws regarding the mandatory detention (quarantine) of dogs that have bitten or attacked a human including responsibilities of the Commonwealth, the investigating officer, the dog owner, and the victim. Download .pdf | .doc Version
Pennsylvania Vicious Dog Statutes – § 459-502-A. Harboring Dangerous Dog
§ 459-502-A. Court proceedings, certificate of registration and disposition
Summary: Statutes that allow the State dog warden or the local police officer to file a complaint before a magisterial district judge, charging an owner or keeper of a dog with harboring a dangerous dog. Includes the conditions for finding...
Pennsylvania Dog Laws – § 459-305 Confinement of Dogs
§ 459-305 Confinement and housing of dogs not part of a kennel
Summary: Laws detailing how privately owned dogs, not part of a kennel, must be, and cannot be confined on private property. Download .pdf | .doc Version
Pennsylvania Dangerous / Vicious Dog Laws – § 459-302 Seizure and Destruction
§ 459-302. Seizure and detention of dogs; costs; destruction of dogs
Summary: Legal statutes that regulate the detention (capture and holding) and euthanasia (destruction) of licensed and unlicensed dogs running lose in public, or on private property that does not belong to the dog's owner. Download .pdf |...
Pennsylvania Dog Licensing Statutes – § 459-202.
§ 459-202. License certificates; tag removal; exclusion for some dogs
Summary: Sets forth the legal requirement for all dog owners in Pennsylvania to obtain a license certificate for each dog they own, and for dogs to wear a license tag. Also includes exceptions for when a dog is not...
Pennsylvania Dog Licensing Statutes – § 459-200
§ 459-200. Issuance of dog licenses ... failure to comply ... penalty
Summary: Statute that governs the collection and handling of fees associated with dog licenses. Download .pdf | .doc Version
Pennsylvania Dangerous Dog Statutes – § 459-102. Definitions
§ 459-102. Definitions
Summary: Definitions of words and phrases used in Pennsylvania Dog Law ("Act") including definitions of "attack," "dangerous dog," "kennel," "public place," and other definitions relating to dog and animal ownership, responsibilities, and legal compliance. Download .pdf | .doc Version