Gastonia, NC Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 10-19
- Wild animals
- Banned without NC Wildlife Resources Commission permit
- Hogs/pigs/swine
- Banned citywide
- Pig exception
- One miniature Vietnamese potbellied pig
- Commercial breeding
- Prohibited citywide
- Related nuisance penalty
- Up to $500 fine / 30 days (§ 10-21)
Summary
Gastonia bans keeping any state-classified wild animal without a North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission permit, and bans hogs, pigs and swine entirely except one miniature Vietnamese potbellied pig per property that meets livestock setback rules.
No person may have or keep within the city any wild animal other than one classified as a wild animal by the North Carolina wildlife resources commission and for which a permit is obtained from that commission, or any hogs, pigs, or swine except that a person may have or keep one miniature Vietnamese potbellied pig (sus scrofa vittatus) provided that any out-of-doors pen constructed for said potbellied pig shall meet the required yard setbacks and other requirements for small livestock as set forth in section 10-18; however, any out-of-doors pen constructed prior to January 1, 1996, shall not have to meet said setbacks so long as the potbellied pig occupying such pen is in existence.
Full Breakdown
City Code § 10-19(a) makes it unlawful to have or keep any wild animal within the city other than one classified as a wild animal by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and for which a state permit has been obtained, and separately bars hogs, pigs or swine altogether, with a single carve-out: a person may keep one miniature Vietnamese potbellied pig (sus scrofa vittatus) if any outdoor pen for it meets the yard setbacks and other small-livestock requirements in § 10-18. Pens built before January 1, 1996 are grandfathered from those setbacks as long as the same pig occupying the pen remains in existence.
Section 10-19(b) further prohibits locating, constructing or operating any animal breeding, growing or feeding establishment for commercial purposes anywhere in the city, though this does not reach animals kept solely for a family's own use on their own premises. These prohibitions sit inside Chapter 10, which the city administers alongside the Gaston County animal control ordinance adopted by the county board of commissioners and enforced within city limits by county animal control officers.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 10 does not set a distinct penalty schedule for § 10-19 itself, but keeping a prohibited animal that creates unsanitary conditions, offensive odor, or a danger can also be charged as a public nuisance under § 10-21, which is punishable as a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500.00 or up to 30 days imprisonment, and each day the violation continues is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep an exotic wild animal as a pet in Gastonia?
Are pet pigs allowed in Gastonia?
Can I run an animal breeding business from my Gastonia home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gastonia
Compare Gastonia to another location·View the North Carolina animal ordinances overview
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