Dearborn, MI Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or allow to be kept within the city any exotic, wild and dangerous animals including but not limited to hedgehogs, skunks, raccoons, chipmunks, alligators, tigers, lions, monkeys, constrictor snakes. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or allow to be kept within the city any farm animals, including but not limited to cows, horses, pigs, potbellied pigs, goats, sheep, pigeons or fowl, or any other domestic animals or insects, except birds, dogs, cats and other harmless domestic pets, without first obtaining a permit from the director of residential services. On the granting of this permit, the fowl or animals in question must not be allowed to run at large or create any condition, affect the conduct or disturb in any way any neighbor or human being, cause any nuisance as herein declared, or cause any condition that might be unwholesome or in any way affect the health, happiness and well-being of the surrounding neighborhood. The director of residential services shall have the power to suspend the above mentioned permit when a nuisance is being or has been thereby created, and to cause any such nuisance to be abated. (Ord. No. 81-69, § 2.3, 11-4-81; Ord. No. 13-1383, 2-12-13)