Shelby, MI Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Banned species
- Lions, tigers, bears, wolves, apes, gorillas
- Monkey threshold
- Over 20 pounds prohibited
- Only exception
- Licensed zoo
- Governing section
- § 100-14(B)
- Traveling shows
- Permitted circus/carnival exception, § 100-15(C)
Summary
Village of Shelby bans keeping lions, tigers, bears, wolves, apes, large monkeys, alligators and other dangerous wild species as pets. Section 100-14(B) lists the prohibited animals by name, and the only exception in the ordinance is a licensed zoo.
WILD ANIMAL Means any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity, except the following: ... No lions, tigers, leopards, panthers, bears, wolves or wolf hybrids, apes, gorillas, monkeys in excess of 20 pounds, elephants, alligators, crocodiles, or poisonous or constrictor snakes shall be kept in the Village, except in a licensed zoo.
Full Breakdown
' That list sits inside the chapter's broader WILD ANIMAL definition at § 100-1, which reaches 'any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity,' while expressly excluding domestic dogs and cats, ferrets, rodents and captive-bred cage birds from that wild-animal category. Section 100-14(A) adds a general confinement duty for any other dangerous animal the ordinance does not name outright: such animals 'shall be kept and confined in completely secure cages or containers which allow no access by any persons except by unlocking such cages or containers for the feeding of the animal,' and must be confined so no other animal or person can reach them.
' Together the two sections leave no ownership path in Shelby Village for the listed exotic and dangerous species outside an accredited zoo or a properly permitted traveling show.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a banned exotic or dangerous animal is a municipal civil infraction under § 100-2(B), with fines set by the schedule at § 1-2. Because these animals pose an outsized safety risk, § 100-2(C) specifically authorizes the Village to pursue injunctive relief or destruction of the animal, and § 100-5(B) allows a police or animal control officer to kill a dangerous animal on the spot if seizure cannot be done safely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a large snake or alligator as a pet in Shelby Village?
Are small monkeys allowed as pets?
What if a traveling circus brings exotic animals through Shelby Village?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shelby
Compare Shelby to another location·View the Michigan animal ordinances overview
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