Together, we can end breed-specific legislation

Getting pets adopted and into homes will help end the killing of dogs and cats nationwide, but there are many laws in place around the country that put limitations on dog owners and potential adoptions simply because of the breed of a dog. 

In shelters across the U.S., dogs and cats are waiting for loving homes of their own. When you adopt a pet, you free up space for another pet to be rescued, plus you gain a new best friend.   

 

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Responsible people should be allowed to acquire and care for whatever breed of dog they choose. It’s that simple. But local governments often interfere with dog owners’ rights by passing breed-specific legislation. With your help, we can get rid of those restrictive laws and end breed-specific legislation for good. 

 

Breed-specific laws 

Local governments around the U.S. interfere with dog owners’ rights, making it harder for certain types of dogs to be adopted. 

The map below shows locations where local governments interfere with dog owners’ rights. The red dots indicate locations that have some sort of breed-specific restrictions and need our help. You can hover over each dot to get more information. 

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Is your community on the map? You can start or join a local campaign to end breed-specific laws.  

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Where breed restrictions interfere with pet owners’ rights the most 

The list below shows the states with the most local governments infringing on the rights of responsible pet owners to have whatever breed of dog they choose. 

On this list, the states at the top have the most breed restrictions, so they are the states that need the most help with overturning breed-specific laws. 

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Is your community listed? Start or join a local campaign to remove breed-specific legislation or ordinances, and learn why those laws are ineffective for maintaining a safe, humane community. 

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You can take action to save the lives of dogs 

Every day, people like you make big changes by advocating for dogs and cats around the country. 

You can help by taking action to change breed-specific laws and ordinances where you live. If you’ve never advocated for the animals before, now’s the time. Every action counts!

Take Action

Breed-specific laws that were repealed or rejected, thanks to people like you

Many local governments have either repealed or rejected breed-specific laws after passionate individuals took action for the animals.

The graphic below shows the status of each individual state. The red dots on each state map correspond to the Current Legislation column and show where existing laws restrict pet owners. The blue dots on each state map correspond to the Repealed or Rejected column and show wins against breed-specific legislation in that state.

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Do you want to see success in your community, too?  Start or join a petition to end breed-specific laws. 

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States with preventive laws in place 

Some states have provisions that prevent local governments from passing laws containing breed-specific restrictions. These provisions help protect dogs and their families.  

If your state doesn’t have this type of provision, consider contacting your state legislators and asking them to sponsor similar legislation or taking action on active legislative campaigns.  

On the map below, if a state is orange, that means there’s a state law against breed restrictions. While some state laws are more comprehensive than others, orange is what we want to see. The blue dots indicate municipalities that have repealed or rejected breed-specific laws (see the key on the map), which protect dog owners on a more local basis.  

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Start or join a local campaign to end breed-specific legislation in your community. That platform can also be used to address other barriers to creating a no-kill country in 2025.

Keep your pets safe and at home

Protect your pets by checking with your local government to ensure that laws have not changed.

FYI: City, county and township ordinances often change, so please check with the appropriate local government entities to make sure they haven’t implemented dog breed restrictions that could put your pets at risk. 

 

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About Best Friends

Best Friends Animal Society is working to save the lives of cats and dogs all across the country, giving pets second chances and happy homes.

Just a few short years ago, cats and dogs were killed in staggering numbers in this country simply because shelters didn't have the community support or the resources to save their lives. That number is now less than half a million per year, but there’s still work to do to ensure a bright future for every dog and cat in America.

Best Friends operates the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals and is committed to saving the lives of homeless pets by working with shelters and passionate people like you. Together, we will bring the whole country to no-kill in 2025. Together, we will Save Them All.