Livestock including cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and swine are prohibited in Dearborn residential zones, consistent with the city's fully urban zoning and lack of agricultural districts.
Dearborn is zoned entirely for urban residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional uses. The city has no agricultural zoning, and the keeping of livestock such as cattle, horses, sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, swine, and similar animals is prohibited throughout the jurisdiction. This includes miniature and pet-sized breeds. Enforcement starts with notice from animal control and escalates to daily civil infractions until the animals are removed. Agricultural exemptions under Michigan's Right to Farm Act MCL 286.471 generally do not apply inside fully zoned urban municipalities. Residents wishing to keep livestock must relocate to agricultural-zoned property elsewhere in Wayne County. Historical stable uses have been phased out.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
See how other cities in Wayne County handle livestock.
See how Dearborn's livestock rules stack up against other locations.
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