Vicious Animals

The City of Derby welcomes all canine citizens as long as they are well-behaved and well-maintained. Derby does not have a breed ban and does not discriminate based on breed, but has firm expectations for behavior from all of its four-legged citizens and their owners.

If your pet acts out, Derby has stringent provisions that must be followed. If your animal is or has ever been declared by a judge to be a “vicious” animal based on its behavior, you must:
  • License your animal under a special Vicious Animal License ($100)
  • Have a microchip inserted for identification purposes
  • Carry a liability insurance policy of $100,000 listing the city as an additional insured
  • Maintain the animal in a secure enclosure at all times and muzzle the animal during necessary trips (i.e., to the veterinarian)
  • Post a sign on your property alerting others to the presence of a vicious animal

Owner Responsibility

Owner responsibility is the key to successful animal ownership. As the pet owner, you alone have the responsibility to choose and maintain a suitable animal and you alone are accountable for the actions of your animal. Before selecting a pet, you should carefully consider the specie or breed of animal that best fits your lifestyle and demands a level of responsibility that you are capable of providing and maintaining.

Train Your Animals

To decrease the likelihood that your animal will become a danger to the community, you should properly train your animal so that it will be less likely to have the ability to be vicious and/or you can secure your animal from the general public so that it won’t have the opportunity to act out in a “vicious or dangerous” manner. It is also important for parents to teach their children how to approach and react around animals. Special caution should be given to animals they are unfamiliar with. Teach your children to respect animals and their territory.

Resources