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

Section 90.07 of the Jessamine County Code, enacted by the Fiscal Court in the animal control chapter, bars selling, owning, harboring or keeping as a pet a wild or exotic animal, not indigenous to the United States. The only way around the bar is approval: the animal must have been approved for sale or retention by appropriate state and federal governmental agencies, and any required permits must have been obtained. The county issues no permit of its own under this section, so the approval has to come from the state and federal agencies.

The definitions in § 90.01 set the reach. EXOTIC ANIMAL means any animal not indigenous to the United States. WILD ANIMAL means any species of animal not normally domesticated by human beings, including but not limited to bears, lions, tigers, cougars, leopards, coyote, wolves, hybrid wolves, wolverines, badgers, elephants and rhinoceros. That list names the animals the Fiscal Court had in mind, and the words including but not limited to show the list is not closed.

The animal control chapter is run by Jessamine County Animal Care and Control. The Director and sworn officers of Animal Care and Control hold the powers of a peace officer, with the exception of arrest, for enforcing animal control ordinances. Under § 90.02(C), an officer who needs to inspect or investigate can enter property when the owner or occupant freely consents, when a search warrant is obtained, or when exigent circumstances require a warrantless, non-consensual search.

A conviction does not end with the fine. Section 90.99(D) says the owner of the animal can also be required to surrender the animal to Animal Care and Control, which turns a violation into the loss of the animal.