LaPorte County, IN Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Chapter 94, adopted by Ord. 2019-8 (passed 3-20-19), sets LaPorte County's animal-control rules for dogs and cats alike. 21(A) requires that "no animal owner or his agents shall keep or harbor a dog or cat over the age of three months unless it has been vaccinated annually by a licensed veterinarian with an anti-rabies vaccine," and Subsection (B) makes the owner keep proof of that vaccination on hand to show the county or its agents on request. 15 separately bans letting any domestic animal, including a cat, run at large or roam away from the premises where it is usually kept; AT LARGE means not under the owner's or an agent's control by leash or other effective means, with an exception only for hunting or working dogs accompanied by their handlers.

20(C) requires that a cat's shelter include the owner's residence or another individual's residence, or an enclosed doghouse-style structure with dry bedding once temperatures drop below freezing, plus added protection if the forecast calls for below 10 degrees Fahrenheit. 04 fine schedule prices a first-offense unvaccinated dog/cat violation at a written warning with a deadline to get the shot, followed by a $100 fine plus possible impoundment if the owner misses that deadline; the same table prices only "Unlicensed dog" as a separate line item, so the county does not run a parallel cat-licensing program the way it licenses dogs. 37 only after the owner pays redemption costs and, if unvaccinated, arranges vaccination.