It’s Illegal To Have This Dog Breed As A Pet In New York

Everyone is passionate about their dog. Did you know there is a dog breed you're not allowed to own as a pet in New York State?

In New York State, it is illegal to own a wolf-dog breed as a pet. Have you ever heard of this breed?

Wolfdogs are perhaps the most misunderstood — and, many would argue, mismanaged — animals in America. Advocates of wolfdogs say they can be wonderful pets, while opponents argue that they’re unpredictable, untrainable, and inherently dangerous. They’re permitted in some places, forbidden in others and are showing up on breed ban lists, along with Pits and other so-called “dangerous breeds.”

According to The Wildest, there are rigorous exceptions where a wolf-dog owner could be grandfathered in. Honestly, Michigan is the only state that truly allows this. New York is one of 12 states that outlaw the ownership of wolf dogs as pets. The other states the outlaw them include Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wyoming. However, in Michigan, a wolfdog can be “grandfathered” in.

In many other states, wolfdog ownership is regulated at the county level, so local laws will determine if wolfdogs are legal. Wolfdogs are covered by local laws in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin."

Part of the problem is that there’s no clear definition of what a wolfdog is. You can read what we do know about them online here.