Research About Meet PRIA

Support Data Sources Privacy Policy Terms of Servicehello@policyrisk.com

© 2026 PRIA Technologies, LLC. All rights reserved.

PRIA provides educational policy intelligence and is not a source of investment, legal, or financial advice. Content is for informational purposes only.

™

Your Policy Risk Impact Agent

Research

At My Address
Federal Courts
Daily Briefings
Medicare & Social Security
Policy Risk Index
Congressional Bills
Federal Register
Tariffs
Fed Decisions & The Economy
State Tracker
World Watch
U.S. Code
U.S. Constitution
Aliens

Knowledge

Search Polipedia
Daily Briefings
Calculators
Policy Risk Index
What is Policy Risk?
The Countdown

Company

About PRIA
Support

Get PRIA

Support Data Sources Privacy Policy Terms of Service

hello@policyrisk.com

© 2026 PRIA Technologies, LLC. All rights reserved.

PRIA is a trademark of PRIA Technologies, LLC.

PRIA provides educational policy intelligence and is not a source of investment, legal, or financial advice. Content is for informational purposes only.

South Carolina Statutes, Title 47

™

Your Policy Risk Impact Agent

South Carolina/Statutes

← All South Carolina coverage

Title 47, Animals, Livestock, and Poultry

16 chapters · 322 sections in this title.

All chapters in Title 47322 Ch 13, Title 47, Chapter 1363 Ch 3, Title 47, Chapter 348 Ch 9, Title 47, Chapter 930 Ch 11, Title 47, Chapter 1130 Ch 1, Title 47, Chapter 121 Ch 19, Title 47, Chapter 1920 Ch 17, Title 47, Chapter 1719 Ch 4, Title 47, Chapter 418 Ch 5, Title 47, Chapter 516 Ch 21, Title 47, Chapter 2116 Ch 7, Title 47, Chapter 711 Ch 15, Title 47, Chapter 158 Ch 22, Title 47, Chapter 228 Ch 2, Title 47, Chapter 27

48 sections·Filtered byTitle 47✕Ch 3✕

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-10 Definitions
1.1K chars
For the purpose of this article: (1) "Animal" is defined as provided for in Chapter 1. (2) "Animal shelter" includes any premises designated by the county or municipal governing body for the purpose of impounding, care, adoption, or euthanasia of dogs and cats held under authorit…
S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-110 Liability for attacks by dogs, provoked attacks, trained law enforcement dogs
2.0K chars
(A) If a person is bitten or otherwise attacked by a dog while the person is in a public place or is lawfully in a private place, including the property of the dog owner or person having the dog in the person's care or keeping, the dog owner or person having the dog in the person…
S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-20 Local animal care and control ordinances authorized
0.2K chars
The governing body of each county or municipality in this State may enact ordinances and promulgate regulations for the care and control of dogs, cats, and other animals and to prescribe penalties for violations.
S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-210 Buying, selling, receiving, or keeping sheep-killing dog prohibited
0.4K chars
No persons shall buy, sell, receive, give away or otherwise own, control, have or keep in possession any dog commonly called "sheep-killing" and known to be such. The violation, knowingly, in any one or all respects of the foregoing prohibition shall be a misdemeanor punishable, …

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-220 Dog found in act of worrying or destroying sheep may be killed

0.2K chars

Any person who may find any dog in the act of worrying or destroying any sheep in this State may kill such dog and such person shall not for so doing be held to answer to any action, civil or criminal.

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-230 Liability of owner of sheep-killing dog for payment to owner of sheep killed or injured

0.4K chars

The owner of or person having in his care or keeping any dog shall be liable to pay to the person damaged double the value of any sheep that may be killed or injured by such dog, to be recovered by action at the suit of the person damaged in any court having competent jurisdictio…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-30 Establishment of animal shelters; funding

0.5K chars

The governing body of the county or municipality is authorized to establish an animal shelter for the county or municipality for the purpose of impounding and quarantining dogs and quarantining cats and shall employ such personnel, including enforcement personnel, as may be neces…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-310 Disposal or removal of feral dogs from certain property

0.7K chars

On game management areas, state-owned property and property of private landowners and leaseholders, at the request of such landowners and leaseholders, specially trained enforcement officers of the Natural Resources Enforcement Division of the Department of Natural Resources may …

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-320 Training of conservation officers to remove dogs; liability of officers

0.6K chars

Two enforcement officers of the Natural Resources Enforcement Division of the Department of Natural Resources from each of the state's twenty-eight law enforcement units shall be trained by the Department in the identification, capture and humane disposal of feral dogs and these …

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-40 Impoundment or quarantine of cat or dog running at large; release to owner

0.6K chars

The county or municipal animal shelter personnel or governmental animal control officers shall pick up and impound or quarantine any dog running at large or quarantining any cat. To obtain release of his dog or cat, an owner or keeper must satisfy the animal shelter personnel tha…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-410 Animal shelter defined

0.3K chars

The term "animal shelter" means any place or premises kept for the care, keeping, impounding, housing or boarding of any animal, whether the premises are owned or operated by a municipality, county, private association, institution, humane organization, or any other business or c…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-420 Methods of euthanasia

5.0K chars

(A) Only the following methods of euthanasia may be used to kill animals impounded or quarantined in animal shelters, and the procedure applicable to the method selected must be strictly followed: (1) Sodium pentobarbital or a derivative of it by means of: (a) intravenous injecti…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-430 Provision governing shelters

0.1K chars

All animal shelters are subject to the provisions of Chapter 1 of Title 47.

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-440 Penalties; injunction

0.4K chars

No person may kill any animal impounded or quarantined in an animal shelter by any means except as provided by this article. Any person who violates the provisions of this article is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, is subject to the penalty provisions in Chapter 1, …

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-450 Exceptions

0.1K chars

The provisions of this article do not apply to persons engaged in scientific endeavors by institutions of higher education.

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-470 Definitions

1.4K chars

As used in this article: (1) "Animal Shelter" means: (a) a facility operated by or under contract for the State or a county, a municipal corporation, or other political subdivision of the State for the purpose of impounding or harboring seized, stray, homeless, abandoned, or unwa…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-480 Provisions for sterilization; exceptions; payment of costs; subsequent notification of sterilization for animals not sterile when acquired

1.7K chars

(A) A public or private animal shelter, animal control agency operated by a political subdivision of this State, humane society, or public or private rescue organization shall make provisions for the sterilization of all dogs or cats acquired from the shelter, agency, society, or…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-490 Failure to comply; remedies

0.7K chars

A person who fails to comply with Section 47-3-480(A)(2) or 47-3-480(D) must forfeit ownership of the dog(s) or cat(s) acquired from the shelter, agency, society, or rescue organization which adopted the animal to the owner. In addition to forfeiting ownership, the person who acq…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-50 Allowing dogs or cats to run at large; penalty

0.9K chars

(A) It is unlawful in any county or municipality adopting penalty provisions pursuant to the provisions of this article for any dog or cat owner or other keeper of a dog or cat to: (1) allow his dog to run at large off of property owned, rented, or controlled by him; (2) keep a v…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-500 Adoption of additional policies by other entities

0.2K chars

This article does not prohibit the adoption by a political subdivision of this State of shelter policies which are more stringent than the requirements of this article.

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-510 Owner may register dog; fee

0.5K chars

The owner of any dog or kennel may, upon payment of a fee to be determined by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (department), not to exceed five dollars a dog or twenty dollars a kennel, have his dog registered by the department and the registration number tattoo…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-520 Availability of registration file

0.2K chars

The department shall have this file available for county, city, or subdivision animal control agencies or departments and individuals. The entire cost must be assessed upon dog owners in registration fees.

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-530 Penalties for stealing or killing identifiable dog

0.7K chars

Any person stealing any positively identifiable dog is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction must be fined not less than five hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned for not less than thirty days nor more than six months, or both. Any person killing…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-540 Destruction of identifiable dog by animal control officer; prior notification of owner

0.7K chars

Animal control officers must not destroy any positively identifiable dog until they have notified the owner at his last known address by registered mail that they have the dog in their possession. The owner must notify the animal control officer within two weeks that he will pick…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-55 Animal shelter personnel to contact owner if known; implant of identifying microchip in adopted or redeemed dogs and cats

1.7K chars

(A) If an animal shelter accepts or comes into possession of a dog or cat, the shelter immediately and thoroughly must scan the dog or cat for a tatoo, any implanted microchip, or similar device, which provides evidence of ownership and, upon finding it, immediately must make a g…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-550 Promulgation of regulations

0.1K chars

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources may promulgate regulations to carry out the provisions of this chapter.

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-60 Disposition of quarantined or impounded animals

1.6K chars

(A) After any animal has been quarantined pursuant to South Carolina Rabies Control Act and is unclaimed by its owner, after the animal shelter employees have made a good faith effort to contact the identified owner as required by Section 47-3-540, the animal shelter employees, u…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-610 Unlawful to taunt, torment, tease, beat, strike, or administer desensitizing drug to police dog or horse

0.6K chars

It is unlawful for a person to wilfully and maliciously taunt, torment, tease, beat, strike, or administer or subject a desensitizing drug, chemical, or substance to a dog or horse used by a law enforcement department or agency in the performance of the functions or duties of the…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-620 Unlawful to torture, mutilate, injure, disable, poison, or kill police dog or horse

0.5K chars

It is unlawful for a person to wilfully or maliciously torture, mutilate, injure, disable, poison, or kill a dog or horse used by a law enforcement department or agency in the performance of the functions or duties of the department or when a dog is placed in a kennel off duty or…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-630 Penalties

0.5K chars

A person who violates any of the provisions of this article, except for Section 47-3-620, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than five hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not less than thirty days nor more than six…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-70 County and municipal powers not limited by article

0.4K chars

Nothing in this article may be construed to limit the power of any municipality or county to prohibit animals from running at large, whether or not they have been inoculated as provided in this article; and nothing in this article may be construed as to limit the power of any mun…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-710 Definitions

1.5K chars

(A) As used in this article "dangerous animal" means an animal of the canine or feline family: (1) which the owner knows or reasonably should know has a propensity, tendency, or disposition to attack unprovoked, cause injury, or otherwise endanger the safety of human beings or do…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-720 Dangerous animal not to go unconfined on premises; "unconfined" defined; exceptions

0.7K chars

No person owning or harboring or having the care or the custody of a dangerous animal may permit the animal to go unconfined on his premises. A dangerous animal is "unconfined" as used in this section if the animal is not confined securely indoors or confined in a securely enclos…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-730 Dangerous animal not permitted beyond premises unless safely restrained

0.2K chars

No person owning or harboring or having the care of a dangerous animal may permit the animal to go beyond his premises unless the animal is safely restrained and the requirements of Section 47-3-760(E) are met.

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-740 Owning or harboring animal for fighting or attacking humans or domestic animals prohibited; selling, breeding, buying or attempting to buy, or intent to do same, prohibited; exceptions

0.6K chars

(A) No person may own or harbor an animal for the purpose of fighting or train, torment, badger, bait, or use an animal for the purpose of causing or encouraging the animal to unprovoked attacks upon human beings or domestic animals. (B) No person may possess with intent to sell,…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-75 Transfer of domestic animal to animal shelter ten days after date owner was to pick up animal; requirements

1.2K chars

(A) An animal delivered to a veterinarian, a dog kennel, a cat kennel, an animal hospital, another animal care facility, or to a person who boards domestic animals on the person's premises for a fee may be transferred to an appropriate animal shelter ten days after the date the o…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-750 Seizure and impoundment of dangerous animal

0.8K chars

(A) If a law enforcement agent, animal control officer, or animal control officer under contract with a county or municipal government to provide animal control services has probable cause to believe that a dangerous animal is being harbored or cared for in violation of Section 4…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-760 Penalties; registration of dangerous animals

2.4K chars

(A) A person who violates Section 47-3-720 or 47-3-730 or subsection (E) of this section or who is the owner of a dangerous animal which attacks and injures a domestic animal is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, for a first offense, must be fined not more than two hun…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-770 When person is lawfully on premises; authority to use force to repel attack by dangerous animal when lawfully on premises; no liability for action taken to repel or restrain unprovoked attack of dangerous animal

0.9K chars

(A) A person lawfully is upon the premises of the owner within the meaning of this article when he is on the premises in the performance of a duty imposed upon him by the laws of this State, by the laws or postal regulations of the United States, when he is on the premises upon i…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-910 Short title

0.0K chars

This article may be cited as "Layla's Law".

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-920 Definitions

2.4K chars

For purposes of this article: (1) "Guide dog" means a dog that is trained for the purpose of guiding blind persons or a dog trained for the purpose of assisting hearing impaired persons. (2) "Humane euthanasia" means the termination of a terminally ill or critically injured guide…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-930 Interference with use of a guide dog or service animal; misdemeanor

0.9K chars

(A) It is unlawful for a person who has received notice that his behavior is interfering with the use of a guide dog or service animal to continue with reckless disregard to interfere with the use of a guide dog or service animal by obstructing, intimidating, or jeopardizing the …

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-940 Injury, disability, or death; reckless disregard; penalties

0.5K chars

(A) It is unlawful for a person with reckless disregard to injure, disable, or cause the death of a guide dog or service animal. (B) It is unlawful for a person with reckless disregard to allow his dog to injure, disable, or cause the death of a guide dog or service animal. (C) A…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-950 Unauthorized control over guide dog or service animal; penalties

0.4K chars

(A) It is unlawful for a person to wrongfully obtain or exert unauthorized control over a guide dog or service animal with the intent to deprive the guide dog or service animal user of his guide dog or service animal. (B) A person who violates subsection (A) is guilty of a misdem…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-960 Intentional injury, disability, or death; penalties

0.4K chars

(A) It is unlawful for a person to intentionally injure, disable, or cause the death of a guide dog or service animal, except in the case of self-defense or humane euthanasia. (B) A person who violates subsection (A) is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined …

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-970 Restitution

1.1K chars

(A) A defendant convicted of a violation of Sections 47-3-930, 47-3-940, 47-3-950, or 47-3-960 may be ordered to make full restitution for damages including incidental and consequential expenses incurred by the guide dog or service animal and its user, which arise out of or are r…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-980 Intentional misrepresentation of animal as service animal; penalties

1.1K chars

(A) It is unlawful for a person to intentionally misrepresent an animal in his possession as a service animal or service animal-in-training for the purpose of obtaining any right or privilege provided to a disabled person if the person knows that the animal in his possession is n…

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-990 Rules and regulations related to access of places of public accommodation by nonservice animals

0.2K chars

Places of public accommodation may establish rules and regulations related to access to such facilities by nonservice animals, including emotional support animals.