Daviess County, KY Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

11 states flatly: no person shall keep or permit any non-domestic animal to be kept on their premises. Subsection (A) lists the only exempt categories: licensed circuses and theatrical exhibits, authorized wildlife rehabilitators holding a state or federal permit, licensed veterinary hospitals treating injured animals, federally-licensed research institutions, zoological parks, and the Museum of Science and History. 01 defines NON-DOMESTIC ANIMAL to include, but not limit to, felines other than the domestic house cat, non-human primates, bears, wolves, coyotes, foxes and venomous reptiles, plus any crossbreed sharing similar characteristics; the Fiscal Court may add or remove species from that list after a public hearing.

Subsection (B) governs rehabilitators specifically: anyone legally possessing a non-domestic animal under a pre-existing state or federal permit may keep it until that permit expires, but renewal subjects the owner to the subchapter's ban on non-domestic animals on residentially zoned lots under two acres, and after December 31, 2013, no one may keep a non-domestic (wild) animal on residential property under two acres except under that narrow grandfather clause. Anyone lawfully keeping a permitted non-domestic animal must register with the Daviess County Sheriff's Office within 30 days of obtaining the animal, provide copies of the state or federal permitting documents, and re-register annually every January, and must also comply with Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations at 301 KAR and KRS Chapter 150.