St. Louis prohibits keeping animals in numbers or conditions that exceed an owner's ability to provide minimum standards of nutrition, sanitation, shelter, and veterinary care under Title VI of the Revised Code.
Title VI of the St. Louis Revised Code authorizes Animal Care and Control to investigate complaints where dogs, cats, or other companion animals are confined in unsanitary conditions, inadequate space, or denied veterinary care. The pet limit ordinance caps total dogs and cats per dwelling, and inspectors may seek warrants under MO Chapter 578 cruelty statutes. Hoarding cases often trigger coordinated response with city Department of Health, the LRA Animal Care division, and St. Louis County prosecutors. Convictions can include forfeiture of animals, mental-health evaluation, and bans on future ownership.
Citations issued by Animal Care and Control; impoundment and forfeiture of animals; misdemeanor charges under MO §578.012; civil costs for boarding, veterinary care, and rehabilitation can be assessed against owners.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
St. Louis, MO
St. Louis has no city ordinance restricting residential lawn ornaments, statuary, or religious displays on private property. Property maintenance code under ...
St. Louis, MO
St. Louis has no city ordinance specifically regulating residential inflatable holiday displays. Inflatables are permitted on private property subject to rig...
St. Louis, MO
St. Louis has no city ordinance setting installation dates, removal deadlines, or brightness limits for residential holiday lights. Lights may stay up year-r...
St. Louis, MO
Built-in outdoor kitchens in St. Louis require permits through the Building Division: a building permit for the structure, a gas-line permit for natural-gas ...
St. Louis, MO
St. Louis has no city-specific ordinance regulating residential backyard smokers, pellet grills, or wood-fired ovens at single-family properties. Operation i...
St. Louis, MO
St. Louis adopts the 2018 International Fire Code under SLRC Title 25. IFC §308.1.4 prohibits open-flame cooking devices (charcoal, wood) and propane tanks l...
See how St. Louis's animal hoarding rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.