Shreveport, LA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 14-6
- Grandfather cutoff
- Acquired before May 23, 1989
- Enforcing agency
- Caddo Parish Animal Services
- Dual violation
- Also enforced under La. Title 56
- General penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine, 60 days jail
Summary
Shreveport Code § 14-6 lists tigers, wolves, primates, venomous snakes, alligators and dozens of other wild or exotic species and bans keeping any of them as a pet, for display, or for sale. A grandfather clause protects only animals acquired before May 23, 1989; anything newer triggers a dual state and city citation.
(a)For the purpose of this section, the following shall be designated wild or exotic animals: tigers, lions, cougars, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, lynx, bobcats, bears, wolves, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, poisonous snakes, komodo dragons, African buffalo, hyenas, coyotes, deer, any crocodilian including, but not limited to, alligators, crocodiles and gavials, any other species of nonhuman primates, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, foxes, ratite birds, hybrid species consisting of wolves, coyotes, or jackals interbred with domestic dogs and ocelots or margays interbred with domestic cats.(b)No person shall keep or permit to be kept on his premises any vicious, wild, or exotic animal for display or for exhibition purposes whether gratuitously or for a fee.(c)No person shall keep or permit to be kept on his premises any wild or exotic animal as a pet as defined in this section except such animals that were acquired prior to May 23, 1989.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 Update 1 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Section 14-6(a) names covered species by group: big cats such as tigers, lions, cougars, leopards, jaguars and cheetahs; bobcats and lynx; bears, wolves and coyotes; primates including chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans; poisonous snakes and komodo dragons; crocodilians such as alligators, crocodiles and gavials; African buffalo, hyenas, deer, raccoons, skunks, squirrels and foxes; ratite birds; and hybrids like wolf-dog or coyote-dog crosses and ocelot- or margay-domestic cat crosses. Subsection (b) bars keeping any of these animals, or any vicious animal, for display or exhibition, paid or free.
Subsection (c) bars keeping one as a pet unless it was already owned before May 23, 1989. Subsection (d) bars taking or possessing a wild animal by illegal methods, and subsection (e) bars offering one for sale, again unless acquired before the 1989 cutoff. Exemptions run to permitted operations: Chimp Haven, the Louisiana State Fair, accredited zoos, educational institutions, circuses, scientific organizations, veterinary clinics, and law enforcement or commercial guard dogs, though cruelty and sanitation rules still bind them. Subsection (h) makes every violation a dual violation, meaning an owner faces both a city citation under this chapter and enforcement under Title 56 of the state wildlife and fisheries statutes.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 14's general penalty clause, § 14-3, punishes any violation not otherwise specified under § 1-14: up to a $1,000 fine, up to 60 days in jail, or both. Because § 14-6(h) makes exotic-pet violations dual violations, Caddo Parish Animal Services can cite the owner under the city code at the same time state wildlife agents pursue a Title 56 wildlife violation for the same animal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a pet alligator in Shreveport?
Is it legal to own a wolf-dog hybrid?
Does the city ban raccoons and skunks too?
What happens if I'm caught with a banned exotic animal?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shreveport
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