Feral dogs are a real and growing concern across Tennessee, particularly in rural counties where packs of unowned dogs roam freely, threatening livestock, wildlife, and public safety. If you have encountered one of these animals — or are trying to understand your rights and responsibilities — the legal landscape can feel murky fast.
Tennessee does not have a single, standalone “feral dog law.” Instead, the rules are drawn from a patchwork of state statutes, county ordinances, and animal control regulations that together define what a feral dog is, who bears responsibility for it, and what you can legally do when one threatens you or your property. This guide walks you through each of those layers so you know exactly where you stand.
How Tennessee Defines Feral Dogs
Tennessee law does not use the term “feral dog” as a standalone legal category in its primary statutes. Instead, the state addresses feral and unowned dogs through related definitions that carry real legal weight.
Under Tennessee’s anti-cruelty framework, “non-livestock animal” means a pet normally maintained in or near the household or households of its owner or owners, other domesticated animal, previously captured wildlife, an exotic animal, or any other pet.” A feral dog — one born in the wild or so long separated from human contact that it has reverted to a wild state — may fall into a gray area between a domesticated “non-livestock animal” and wildlife, depending on its history and behavior…