Georgia dog laws a protection dog owner should read first

Georgia's dog statute, Code section 4-8-21, defines a "dangerous dog" and a "vicious dog." We read the 2021 text, which is published on Justia; confirm the current wording before relying on it.

The statute says barking, growling or showing teeth alone does not count. It also carves out dogs working with police or the military, and cases where the injured person was trespassing, abusing the dog or committing certain offenses.

Under section 4-8-23, a dog control officer investigates a report and decides whether the dog should be classified. If so, the officer mails the owner a dated notice within 72 hours.

1. Notice arrivesIt summarizes the finding and includes a hearing request form.
2. Seven days to askThe owner must request a hearing within seven days of the notice date, or the determination takes effect.
3. HearingIt is set within 30 days of the request, with at least ten days of written notice. The owner may testify and offer evidence.
4. DecisionThe hearing body may sustain, change or overrule the officer, and mails its decision within ten days.

Where a local animal control board or board of health exists, it hears the case. Where none does, the probate court takes it.

State law (section 31-19-5) tells county boards of health to adopt rules requiring dogs and cats to be inoculated and to set the intervals. The practical result is that the schedule you must follow depends on your county.

Gwinnett County, for example, says it requires a current rabies tag for every dog and cat.

If you are bringing a dog in from another state, Georgia's rule 40-13-2-.19 requires dogs 12 weeks or older to carry proof of a current, approved rabies vaccination.

Gwinnett's animal welfare page cites county ordinance section 10-71, which makes it unlawful to fail to keep a dog under restraint or control. It also says outdoor tethering is generally prohibited, with narrow exceptions that include an adult staying outside in view of the animal and no tethering in extreme weather.

The same page says an animal involved in a bite must be quarantined for 10 days at a vet, animal hospital or approved boarding facility, and that potentially rabid or vicious animals cannot be adopted out.

Your county will differ. Call its animal services office and ask for the current ordinance text.

We did not find an official statewide source we could verify for a general leash requirement or for a statewide tethering rule, so we make no claim about either. Ask your county.