04/27/2026
Animal Control in Boyle County is a statutory department governed by the Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS), which require every county government to employ an Animal Control Officer and to maintain or have access to an animal shelter.
In Boyle County, we partner with the Danville-Boyle County Humane Society (DBCHS) to operate the local shelter. While the County does not own the shelter, our Animal Control Department is staffed with Animal Control Officers, a medical technician, and a community outreach coordinator. Animals in the shelter remain under the custody and care of the County until they are adopted, as per Kentucky statute.
Boyle County’s Animal Control Ordinance is among the strongest in the Commonwealth. We do not allow animals to run at large. Any dogs or livestock found unattended will be impounded, and owners may be fined for repeated violations. Also in Boyle County, we do not allow animals to be sold at public events/spaces unless by a licensed, professional breeder. In other words, setting up in the parking lot and selling dogs of unknown background is illegal in Boyle County.
Under Kentucky law, all dogs, cats, and ferrets must be vaccinated against rabies. Animal Control Officers and physicians are required to report animal bites to the local health department. Animals involved in bite incidents must be quarantined for 10 days following the event.
This is why we require all dogs to be licensed in Boyle County. The license is $5 for each dog, and you must provide a rabies certificate upon purchase. Dogs found unlicensed - the owners will be cited and required to provide a rabies certificate within 10 days.
Animal Control also has the responsibility of seizing animals have been neglected or abused and keeping them safe until after the owner has been adjudicated in a court of law. This includes providing all medical care, which the cost is covered by the Humane Society.
The Fiscal Court funds the Animal Control department as well as contributing to the overhead at the shelter by paying all utilities. The Humane Society in turn, pays for all of the medical care for the animals at the shelter. The partnership is mutually beneficial to both the County and the DBCHS.