Pennsylvania dog laws state, "If a dangerous dog, through the intentional, reckless or negligent conduct of the dog's owner or keeper, attacks a person or a domestic animal, dog or cat, the dog's owner or keeper shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree."
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The following are some of the statutes that regulate the rights and responsibilities of dog owners, owners of dangerous dogs, and victims of dog bites and dog attacks:
§ 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
§ 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
§ 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 required to wear a registration tag. Download .pdf | .doc Version
§ 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 | .doc Version
§ 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
§ 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
§ 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 a dog owner guilty of harboring a dangerous dog and the resulting action of declaring a dog vicious, thereby making the dog owner subject to compliance with additional Pennsylvania dangerous dog laws. Download .pdf | .doc Version
§ 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
§ 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 | .doc Version
§ 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
