Upper Darby, PA Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- ID requirement
- Tag/collar with owner name, address, phone
- At-large ban
- § 222-43, includes trespass/damage
- Unclaimed, no tag
- 2 days before disposition
- Unclaimed, with tag
- 8 days, owner notified
- Impound fee
- $7.50 minimum per night
- Penalty range
- $600-$1,000, § 222-50
Summary
Upper Darby Code § 222-43 bans letting a cat run at large, and § 222-42 requires every cat off its owner's premises to wear an ID tag or collar with the owner's name, address, and phone number. Loose cats are impounded with an eight-day redemption window for tagged cats.
§ 222-42. Identification tag and collar. Cats must wear identification tags or collars containing name, address and telephone number of owner at all times when off the premises of the owner. § 222-43. Prohibition against cats running at large. A. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any cat to permit it to run at large, to cause annoyance to persons or damage to persons or property, to trespass upon, litter or deface any premises, pavement, public highway or park in this Township. Failure of any such owner to properly curb and restrain his or her cat shall subject the owner to penalties provided by this article.
Full Breakdown
Article IV of Chapter 222, the Cats and Wild Animals Ordinance of 2001 (adopted January 16, 2002 under Ordinance No. 2915), regulates cats through a set of linked sections. " Section 222-43 bans running at large outright, along with causing annoyance or damage to persons or property, or trespassing, littering, or defacing any premises, pavement, highway, or park, and separately makes failure to curb and restrain a cat a basis for penalties. Section 222-44 requires a female cat in heat to be confined in a building or secure enclosure so it cannot contact another animal except for planned breeding.
A cat found at large is seized and impounded at the Township Animal Shelter under Section 222-45, held up to two days if unclaimed before it becomes Township property; if it carries an ID tag, Section 222-46 extends that window to eight days, with notice sent to the owner listed on the tag. 50 per night under Section 222-47. Section 222-48 separately bans letting a cat defecate on public property, gutters, sidewalks, parks, or private property other than the owner's, requiring immediate cleanup by carrying the waste away for toilet disposal or bagging it for trash.
Violations & Fines
Article IV is enforced under Section 222-50 through a civil complaint under the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure. Building, housing, health, fire, or public-safety violations carry a penalty of up to $1,000 plus prosecution costs and attorneys' fees; other violations of the article carry up to $600 plus the same costs and fees, with each day continuing and each subsection violated treated as a separate offense. Section 222-52 lets an officer cite the owner directly to collect impoundment fees when a cat cannot be physically impounded.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Upper Darby require cats to wear ID tags?
Can my cat roam free outside in Upper Darby?
How long does the Township hold an impounded cat before it can be transferred out?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Upper Darby
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