Lakewood, OH Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Code Reference
- Chapters 505 & 506 (rev. April 2018)
- Breed Ban
- None - pit-bull ban repealed 4/2/2018
- Basis
- Behavior and bite history
- Still Banned by Species
- Wolves and wolf hybrids (Sec. 505.18(b)(30))
Summary
As of April 2018 Lakewood repealed its pit-bull ban and no longer has any breed-specific legislation. All dogs are welcome, but Chapters 505 and 506 impose behavior- and bite-history-based classifications, and Section 505.18(b) still bans wolves and wolf hybrids.
Lakewood no longer has breed specific legislation. All dogs are welcome in Lakewood. Instead, new, rigorous classifications for and restrictions on dogs are based upon their behavior and bite history, and the new animal ordinance applies to 'all dogs' and may be found in revised Chapter 505 and 506.
Full Breakdown
Lakewood's Division of Animal Control states plainly that 'Lakewood no longer has breed specific legislation. All dogs are welcome in Lakewood,' and that restrictions are instead based on a dog's behavior and bite history under revised Chapters 505 and 506. The change was adopted by City Council on April 2, 2018, ending a roughly decade-long pit-bull ban. Chapter 506 (Designation of Nuisance, Dangerous and Vicious Animals) governs the classification and control of nuisance, dangerous, and vicious dogs through hearings rather than breed. Note that Section 505.18(b) still bans certain canids by species - including foxes, coyotes, and '[w]olves (Canis lupus), including wolf hybrids' - as dangerous animals, but no domestic dog breed is banned.
Violations & Fines
Behavior-based violations are charged under Chapters 505 and 506; controlling, harboring, or failing to comply with a dangerous/vicious-dog designation carries the penalties set in Chapter 506. Keeping a prohibited wild canid under Section 505.18 is a minor misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are pit bulls banned in Lakewood?
Are wolf hybrids allowed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
How Lakewood compares: Cities with No Dog Breed Restrictions·Compare Lakewood to another location·View the Ohio animal ordinances overview
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Breed Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cuyahoga County handle breed restrictions.