Newark, OH Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

The City of Newark, Ohio treats cats differently from dogs in section 618.01. Division (d) requires the owner, keeper or harborer of each cat to keep it either confined upon the premises or under reasonable control of some person. The leash language in division (b) is written for dogs, and the home-confinement list of leash, tether, fence, supervision or secure enclosure in division (c) is likewise a dog rule. Division (a) still reaches cats because it covers any animal: no owner, keeper or harborer can permit an animal to run at large upon a public way or ground, upon unenclosed land, or upon premises other than their own. Under division (f), an animal found running at large in violation of division (a) is seized and impounded, the cost is charged to the owner, keeper or harborer, and that person is cited.

Section 618.11(a) requires the owner, keeper or harborer of any dog or cat to keep the animal vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian with anti-rabies vaccine. When the Mayor issues a rabies proclamation under section 618.11(b), every person owning or keeping a cat must confine it securely on the premises unless it wears a muzzle strong enough to prevent biting, and an unmuzzled cat running at large during the proclamation is seized and impounded. Dog registration under section 618.08 and the tag rule in section 618.095 are written for dogs, not cats. Section 618.27 instead creates a voluntary City database of microchipped cats and dogs: residents who choose to microchip register name, address, telephone number and chip number on a form from the Animal Control Officer or the Office of the Director of Public Safety, and the owner alone must report any change to the City and the microchip manufacturer. Section 618.28(d) defines a domestic animal to include any dog or cat regardless of where it is kept, and section 618.22(e)(2) excludes cats from the restricted animal permit rules.