Nevada Dog Bite Law

CHAPTER 244. COUNTIES: GOVERNMENT

HEALTH AND SAFETY

NRS § 244.359 (2003)

§ 244.359. Ordinance concerning control of animals; license fee and designation of and requirement of liability insurance policy for inherently dangerous animals; applicability; civil liability in lieu of criminal penalty in certain circumstances

1. Each board of county commissioners may enact and enforce an ordinance or ordinances:

(a) Fixing, imposing and collecting an annual license fee on dogs and providing for the capture and disposal of all dogs on which the license fee is not paid.

(b) Regulating or prohibiting the running at large and disposal of all kinds of animals.

(c) Establishing a pound, appointing a poundkeeper and prescribing his duties.

(d) Prohibiting cruelty to animals.

(e) Designating an animal as inherently dangerous and requiring the owner of such an animal to obtain a policy of liability insurance for the animal in an amount determined by the board of county commissioners.

2. Any ordinance or ordinances enacted pursuant to the provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection 1 may apply throughout an entire county or govern only a limited area within the county which shall be specified in the ordinance or ordinances.

3. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a board of county commissioners may by ordinance provide that the violation of a particular ordinance enacted pursuant to this section imposes a civil liability to the county in an amount not to exceed $ 500, instead of a criminal penalty. An ordinance enacted pursuant to this section that creates an offense relating to bites of animals, vicious or dangerous animals, horse tripping or cruelty to animals must impose a criminal penalty for the offense. As used in this subsection, "horse tripping" does not include tripping a horse to provide medical or other health care for the horse.

HISTORY: 1973, p. 558; 2001, ch. 449, § 1, p. 2279.

NOTES:

EFFECT OF AMENDMENT. --The 2001 amendment, effective June 6, 2001, added subdivision 1(e) and subsection 3.

OPINIONS OF ATTORNEY GENERAL

REGULATION OF FREE-RANGING LIVESTOCK. --Counties have authority, pursuant both to specific authority under this section, and pursuant to their police powers, to enact ordinances regulating livestock grazing; however, a county may not categorically declare free-ranging livestock a public nuisance, in absence of a pre-established state or county prohibition of such activity. AGO 98-22 (8-7-1998).

USER NOTE: For more generally applicable notes, see notes under the first section of this chapter or title

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