Sandy, UT Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

Sandy City Code § 12-1-28 makes it unlawful for any person to sell, offer for sale, barter, give away, keep, or purchase any wild animal as defined in § 12-1-2, or any hybrid of one, or any wild animal that is fierce, dangerous, vicious, noxious, or naturally inclined to do harm, or any animal that can contract rabies but cannot be properly vaccinated as determined by the Utah Department of Health. Section 12-1-2 lists specific covered categories: alligators and crocodiles; all bears including grizzly, brown and black bears; the entire cat family except commonly domesticated cats, covering cheetahs, cougars, leopards, lions, bobcats, lynx, panthers, mountain lions, tigers, and ocelots; the dog family except domesticated dogs, covering wolves, foxes, coyotes, dingos and their hybrids; porcupines; all subhuman primates; raccoons; skunks; venomous fish and piranha; venomous snakes or lizards; and weasels (Mustelidae), though ferrets are expressly carved out and may legally be kept as pets.

It is also separately unlawful under § 12-1-28(b) to keep any species protected or prohibited by federal regulation (50 CFR) or Utah law. Exceptions are narrow: State animal shelters, zoological parks, veterinary hospitals, humane society shelters, public laboratories, traveling circus sideshows present under two weeks per year, licensed fur-trade Mustelidae operations, and education or research facilities may keep such animals only if they provide protective devices adequate to prevent escape or public endangerment. Section 12-3-3 separately and specifically bans keeping wolves, coyotes, wolf-dog hybrids, coyote-dog hybrids, or any other dog/wild-animal hybrid within Sandy, reinforcing the wild-animal ban for canid crossbreeds.

The City can build a prima facie case that an animal is 'wild' either from the owner's own representations or from evidence the animal shows a primary wild physical or behavioral trait.