Laws & Your Pet

These laws protect citizens from dangerous or nuisance animals and provide for basic animal care requirements. Only the most common problems are addressed.

Neglect Laws:

  • All pets must be provided with adequate shelter, food, and water.
  • All pets must be provided with necessary medical care in addition to the required rabies vaccination.
  • All pet areas must be maintained in a clean and sanitary manner.
  • No pet shall be tied to a rope, chain or cord fastened directly to the neck. Choker collars used for training need to be replaced with a leather or nylon collar immediately after training.
  • No pet shall be left unattended in a vehicle when conditions constitute a health hazard.

Cruelty Laws:

  • No person shall beat, cruelly treat, neglect, torment, overload, overwork, or otherwise abuse an animal.
  • Dog and cock fighting is illegal in South Bend, and is a felony in the State of Indiana.

Nuisance Animal Laws:

  • Excessive barking: Owners must immediately attend to their pet when barking begins.
  • Pet waste must be cleaned up daily.
  • Walking your pet? Carry a pooper scooper.
  • Pets must be restrained at all times.