Lakeville, MN Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

Lakeville restricts exotic animals under City Code Section 5-1-19 (Prohibited Animals). The code prohibits keeping any naturally wild member of the canine family (Canidae), including but not limited to wolves, foxes, coyotes, dingoes, and jackals, while excluding recognized domesticated dogs. It also prohibits any hybrid or crossbreed between such a prohibited wild animal and a domestic animal, and all subsequent generations of those hybrids - for example, a wolf-dog cross. The code further prohibits members or relatives of the rodent family, including any skunk (whether or not de-scented), raccoon, or squirrel, while excluding animals otherwise commonly accepted as domesticated pets. Finally, it prohibits any poisonous, venomous, constricting, or inherently dangerous member of the reptile or amphibian families, including but not limited to rattlesnakes, boa constrictors, pit vipers, crocodiles, and alligators. The ordinance includes a catch-all for other animals that can reasonably be defined by the terms of the section. Because this is a local Lakeville prohibition, residents should confirm whether a specific species is allowed before acquiring it; common domesticated pets remain permitted, but wild, hybrid, and dangerous species are not.