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.
Erie County, NY
Backyard composting is legal and encouraged in Erie County. The county has no mandate or ban on home composting; nuisance and setback details, if any, come f...
Erie County, NY
Erie County has no ordinance regulating artificial turf on residential property. In New York, any turf, lot-coverage, or drainage rules come from town, villa...
Erie County, NY
Erie County does not regulate native versus non-native landscaping; planting choices are governed only by any local town ordinances. The county's role is adv...
Erie County, NY
Rainwater harvesting is legal and encouraged in Erie County. There is no county ban on rain barrels. Erie County, with the WNY Stormwater Coalition and Soil ...
Erie County, NY
Most Erie County residents get water from the Erie County Water Authority (ECWA), drawn from Lake Erie and the Niagara River. In this humid climate there is ...
Erie County, NY
Erie County does not enforce a weed ordinance. The statewide NY Property Maintenance Code prohibits weeds over 10 inches and bans noxious weeds, but your tow...
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