Union County Laws, Ordinances,
Fines &Fees

Note! The following excerpts from the 1997-1 Union County Ordinance are for general information only. Please check your local governmental offices for complete wording of the current Ordinance and Laws.

Adult Dog: Any dog having a set of permanent canine teeth, or past the age of 6 months.
Aggressive Dog: See Section 13.
Animal: Any member of the classes of reptiles, birds, or mammals except man
Kennel: A private residence with 3 or more adult dogs
Leash: A cord, thong, or chain not more than 8 feet in length, and strong enough to restrain the animal
License Tag: A pre-numbered identification license sold to an owner/custodian of a specific pet animal
Owner: Any person owning, keeping, harboring, caring for, or right of possession to one or more animals.
Pet: Any animal kept for pleasure rather than utility; one dependant on humans for food and shelter.
Public Nuisance: Any dog that unreasonably annoys humans, endangers the life and health of other animals or persons, or substantially interfere with the rights of citizens, other than their owners, to enjoyment of life or property. The owner shall be personally liable for a dog that becomes a public nuisance and shall be financially liable for the actions of his/her dog.

Animal restraints and transportation . . . . .
Pet restraint and animal transporting requirements vary within Union County. Check with your local governing office for current requirements.

Section 5. Licensing . . . . .
No person may own, harbor, or have custody of any dog over the age of six months unless the dog has a current license. Licensing requirements vary by different communities, but rabies inoculation is required for all licensing. Check with local government agencies for current requirements.

Section 8. Rabies Control/Bite Quarantine . . . . .
No person may keep or harbor in the County a dog over six months of age which is not inoculated for rabies by a licensed veterinarian. All dog bites to a human must be reported to the County Sheriff within 24 hours of the incident. Reports are to be made by the dog owner, person bitten, and other persons as required by ordinance.

Section 9. Public Nuisance . . . . .
      The owner or keeper of a dog shall not allow the animal to be a public nuisance including (but not limited to): Repeatedly found at large, damage of property of anyone other than the owner, molests or intimidates a passerby, chases vehicles, excessively makes disturbing noises, causes unsanitary conditions or fouling of the air, is offensive or dangerous to public health, attacks other domestic animals, scatters garbage, or a female in heat running at large.
      Any dog whose owner allows or permits it to deposit excreta on public areas, recreation areas, or on private property (not belonging to the owner), is declared to be a nuisance, and the owner is responsible for the removal of the excreta.
      Any person who has cause to believe a dog is being maintained as a public nuisance may complain , either orally or in writing, to the Sheriff’s Department or County Animal Control Services for investigation and determination of Ordinance violation.

Section 10. Dog at Large - It is Unlawful for:
The owner or custodian of any dog to cause, permit, or allow such dog to roam, stray, or be away from the premises of such owner or custodian and to be in any public place, any public property, or the private property of another within the County.

Section 11. Animal Cruelty (in addition to ORS Chapter 167) - It is Unlawful to:
      Tether or confine any animal in such a way to permit such animal to become frequently entangled in such tether, or render said animal incapable of consuming food or water provided for it . Said tether shall not be shorter than three times the length of the animal.
      Confine an animal within or on a motor vehicle or other enclosure or structure when unattended and under such conditions as may endanger the health and well being of the animal. Such conditions include, but not limited to, dangerous temperature, lack of food or water, and confinement with a vicious animal.
      Knowingly place food of any description containing poisonous or other injurious ingredients in any location likely to be accessible to domesticated animals or livestock.

Section 12. Animal Abandonment - It is Unlawful to:
Abandon an animal on the street, roadway, public place, or private property of another person, firm, or corporation.

Section 13. Dangerous & Aggressive Animals . . . . .
Unless behavior was caused by abuse or torment of the dog, or criminal activity on the part of the victim, a dog shall be considered dangerous or aggressive if it menaces, threatens, or causes injury to a human or domestic animal. (Consult current Ordinance for classification levels, owner requirements, and liabilities).

Section 18. Costs of Injured Animals or Carcass Removal . . . . .
The Sheriff has the authority to assess veterinary treatment costs to the owner of impounded animals and for removal of dead animals.

License fee for each dog: $12.00.
Kennel fee: $50.00.

Non-fertile dog: $20 for first impoundment, $40 for second impoundment, and increase of $10 for each additional impoundment.
Fertile dog: $50 for first impoundment, $100 for second impoundment, and increase of $10 for each additional impoundment.
Boarding fee: $10 per day (or part thereof) for each animal.