Newport News, VA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

(a)It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain any wild animal within the city limits, except as herein provided. It shall also be unlawful to maintain pigeons within the city limits which are at large and not under the control of the owner.(b)Wild animals may be kept in proper enclosures for public display as an accessory use to a public or private park, animal shelter, or nature related educational facility; provided, however, such park or facility is owned and operated by a governmental body or a nonprofit organization; and further provided, that such park or facility occupies a land area of not less than two (2.0) acres.(c)Wild animals may be kept in the city by any person licensed as a wildlife rehabilitator by the Commonwealth of Virginia. No such wildlife rehabilitator shall keep more than four (4) such animals, unless such animals are from the same litter, at any one (1) time; nor shall any such animal be kept by a wildlife rehabilitator for more than one hundred twenty (120) days or until the animal is returned to health sufficient for its return to the wild, whichever is shorter. (Ord. No. 1443, § 1; Ord. No. 1587, § 1; Code 1961, § 4-3; Ord. No. 3328-85; Ord. No. 5019-97)