Erie County imposes no countywide livestock ordinance. Keeping cattle, horses, goats, pigs, or other farm animals is controlled by each town, city, or village zoning code, so allowed animals, lot sizes, and setbacks vary across the county.
Livestock keeping in Erie County is a municipal zoning matter, and the county has no farm-animal ordinance. Each town, city, and village decides through its zoning code whether livestock may be kept, in which districts, what minimum lot size is required, and what setbacks apply; rural towns such as Sardinia allow livestock as a farm use on larger parcels, while Amherst or Buffalo restrict farm animals in residential districts. State agricultural-district protections under NY Agriculture and Markets Law Article 25-AA can also affect how a municipality regulates a working farm. Because there is no Erie County livestock section, owners must confirm animal type, count, and setbacks with the local zoning office. The Health Department's role covers only sanitation complaints.
Keeping livestock contrary to municipal zoning is a local zoning violation enforced by the town, city, or village, subject to that municipality's fines and abatement; sanitation nuisances may separately draw an Erie County Health Department order.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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