AN ACT relating to working livestock dogs.

UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 2501
Page 1 of 1
BR250100.100 - 2501 - XXXX 3/3/2026 3:15 PM Jacketed
AN ACT relating to working livestock dogs. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
Section 1. KRS 258.265 is amended to read as follows: 3
(1) An owner shall exercise proper care and control of his or her dog to prevent the dog 4
from violating any local government nuisance ordinance. 5
(2) Any peace officer or animal control officer may seize or destroy any dog found 6
running at large between the hours of sunset and sunrise ,[ and] unaccompanied, and 7
not under the control of its owner or handler. A peace officer or animal control 8
officer shall be under a duty to make a fair and reasona ble effort to determine 9
whether any dog found at large between sunset and sunrise is a working livestock 10
dog, hound, or other hunting dog which has become lost temporarily from a pack or 11
wandered from immediate control of its owner [,] or handler, and if he or she is 12
reasonably sure that the dog is a working livestock dog or hunting dog, then he or 13
she shall not destroy the dog[,] unless it is found in the act of pursuing or wounding 14
livestock, [or] wounding or killing poultry, or attacking human beings. 15
(3) A working livestock dog, hound, or hunting dog may be unrestrained when engaged 16
in lawful working or hunting activities while on private or public property 17
designated or authorized for that purpose. 18