Pet Limits
Animal Ordinances
Maximum number of cats, dogs, or other companion animals allowed per household, including counts that trigger kennel-license requirements.
How Pet Limits Rules Differ by Place
Peoria, AZ: animals/animal-hoarding
Heavy RestrictionsPeoria limits dogs/cats to a combined total typically allowed in residential zones and treats hoarding under AZ §13-2910 animal cruelty. Maricopa County Animal Care & Control (MCACC)…
Tempe, AZ: animals/animal-hoarding
Heavy RestrictionsTempe enforces AZ §13-2910 animal cruelty for hoarding. Tempe City Code Ch. 8 limits number of dogs/cats in residential zones; MCACC investigates complaints alongside Tempe PD.
Tucson, AZ: Animal Hoarding Investigated by PACC and TPD
Heavy RestrictionsAnimal hoarding in Tucson is treated as both a welfare issue under Pima County Title 6 and a potential cruelty case under Arizona Revised Statutes §13-2910. PACC and Tucson Police…
Birmingham, AL: No fixed numeric dog/cat cap; nuisance limits apply
Few RestrictionsNo Birmingham-specific ordinance sets a fixed maximum number of household dogs or cats; Alabama state law does not impose a numeric pet limit either. Animals must still be confined…
Phoenix, AZ: Phoenix Kennel Threshold: Five or More Dogs
Few RestrictionsPhoenix sets no flat per-household cap on cats or dogs, but defines a 'kennel' as five or more dogs kept under controlled conditions, which triggers kennel regulation and zoning…
Sonoma County, CA: Sonoma County Pet Limits
Few RestrictionsIn unincorporated Sonoma County, no permit is required to keep up to four dogs and/or four cats on a property. Keeping five or more typically requires a license or use permit. Five to…
Pet Limits Rules by State
Statewide law governs this topic in many states. Each entry links to that state's full page.
Alabama
Heavy RestrictionsAlabama Code Sections 13A-11-14 and 13A-11-241 criminalize animal cruelty and neglect statewide, capturing hoarding conduct that deprives animals of food, water, shelter, or veterinary…
Alaska
Some RestrictionsAlaska has no standalone hoarding law. Keeping animals below the state's minimum standards of care is prosecuted as cruelty to animals under AS 11.61.140(a)(2), and every neglected…
California
Significant RestrictionsCalifornia has no statute titled "animal hoarding," but Penal Code 597.1 makes keeping any animal without proper care and attention a misdemeanor and lets peace officers and humane…
Colorado
Heavy RestrictionsColorado criminalizes animal hoarding under the cruelty statute when conditions cause suffering. The law applies uniformly statewide regardless of municipal animal limits.
Connecticut
Heavy RestrictionsConnecticut criminalizes animal cruelty including hoarding under state law, with statewide felony provisions for severe neglect and authority for state animal control officers to seize…
District of Columbia
Some RestrictionsThe District has no dedicated hoarding statute, but DC Official Code § 22-1001 makes it a crime to keep animals while failing to provide proper food, water, space, veterinary care, or…
Florida
Significant RestrictionsFlorida has no standalone hoarding statute; hoarders are prosecuted under Fla. Stat. 828.13 for confining animals without enough good, wholesome food and water, and under 828.12…
Idaho
Heavy RestrictionsIdaho Code Section 25-3504 criminalizes animal cruelty statewide, and conduct typical of animal hoarding such as inadequate food, water, or shelter is prosecuted as cruelty in every…
Illinois
Heavy RestrictionsIllinois defines and criminalizes companion animal hoarding under the Humane Care for Animals Act, applying uniformly through state criminal code statewide.
Iowa
Heavy RestrictionsIowa Code Chapter 717B universally criminalizes animal neglect and cruelty, providing the legal framework prosecutors use in animal hoarding cases. The statute applies statewide and…
Kansas
Heavy RestrictionsKansas K.S.A. 21-6412 criminalizes animal cruelty statewide, including failure to provide adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care, which captures hoarding scenarios. The law…
Kentucky
Some RestrictionsKentucky has no stand-alone hoarding statute. Neglecting a hoard of animals is prosecuted under KRS 525.130 as cruelty to animals in the second degree: cruel neglect, or failing to…
Louisiana
Some RestrictionsLouisiana has no standalone animal-hoarding statute. Hoarders are charged under simple cruelty to animals, La. R.S. 14:102.1, for failing to provide their animals proper food, drink…
Maine
Heavy RestrictionsMaine does not define 'animal hoarding' as a standalone offense, but the conduct is prosecuted under cruelty-to-animals (17 MRS § 1031) and proper-shelter (7 MRS § 4015) statutes…
Maryland
Heavy RestrictionsMaryland Criminal Law Sections 10-604 through 10-606 prohibit aggravated and general animal cruelty statewide, including failure to provide nutritious food, proper drink, air, space…
Massachusetts
Heavy RestrictionsAnimal cruelty including hoarding is criminalized statewide under M.G.L. Chapter 272 Section 77. Hoarding triggers welfare investigations and felony charges in severe cases.
Michigan
Heavy RestrictionsMichigan's animal cruelty law universally applies to hoarding situations involving inadequate care. Penalties escalate with the number of animals, and the state's anti-cruelty…
Minnesota
Heavy RestrictionsMinnesota Statute 343.21 establishes statewide animal cruelty offenses including overworking, depriving food or water, and torture. Hoarding cases are prosecuted as cruelty and apply…
Mississippi
Heavy RestrictionsMississippi treats severe neglect and hoarding-style conditions as criminal cruelty under the Dog and Cat Pet Protection Law and broader cruelty statutes. The criminal code applies…
Missouri
Heavy RestrictionsMissouri RSMo 578.009 and 578.012 universally criminalize animal neglect, abandonment, and abuse, applying to hoarding situations regardless of municipal limits and authorizing courts…
Montana
Heavy RestrictionsMontana's animal cruelty statute applies universally and addresses neglect, deprivation, and conditions characteristic of hoarding regardless of local ordinances or jurisdiction across…
Nebraska
Heavy RestrictionsNebraska's animal cruelty law applies uniformly across all cities and counties. Hoarding cases are prosecuted under the cruel neglect provisions of section 28-1009, which carries…
New Hampshire
Heavy RestrictionsNew Hampshire RSA 644:8 criminalizes animal cruelty including hoarding-type neglect statewide. The statute applies universally across all municipalities, providing uniform definitions…
New Jersey
Heavy RestrictionsNew Jersey's animal cruelty laws apply statewide, prohibiting neglect and overcrowding that constitute hoarding, with enforcement by humane officers and police.
New Mexico
Heavy RestrictionsNMSA 30-18-1 universally criminalizes animal cruelty statewide, including failing to provide sustenance to animals in custody. Companion animal hoarding triggers cruelty charges and…
Ohio
Heavy RestrictionsOhio's companion animal cruelty law universally criminalizes neglect typical of hoarding situations, with felony penalties applying uniformly regardless of municipal boundaries.
Oklahoma
Heavy RestrictionsOklahoma criminalizes neglect and cruelty toward animals through statewide statutes that apply to hoarding situations, allowing felony charges for severe neglect of multiple animals.
Oregon
Heavy RestrictionsOregon prosecutes animal hoarding under ORS 167.325 through 167.333, with felony charges available when 11 or more animals are involved or domestic animals are neglected. The criminal…
Pennsylvania
Some RestrictionsPennsylvania sets no statewide cap on how many dogs or cats a household may keep. The line that matters is the Dog Law's kennel definition in § 102: any establishment in or through…
South Carolina
Some RestrictionsSouth Carolina has no standalone hoarding statute; hoarding is prosecuted under the general ill-treatment law, Section 47-1-40, which criminalizes depriving an animal of necessary…
South Dakota
Some RestrictionsSouth Dakota does not have a standalone animal-hoarding statute, but hoarding is prosecuted under the general animal-cruelty and inhumane-treatment provisions of SDCL Chapter 40-1…
Tennessee
Heavy RestrictionsTennessee animal cruelty statutes apply uniformly statewide and treat aggravated cruelty as a felony, allowing prosecution of hoarding cases regardless of city or county ordinances.
Texas
Some RestrictionsTexas has no standalone hoarding statute; officers use Health & Safety Code Chapter 821 to seize animals deprived of necessary food, care, or shelter, and a court can divest the owner…
Utah
Some RestrictionsUtah has no standalone hoarding law. Hoarders are prosecuted under the cruelty-to-animals statute, Utah Code 76-13-202, for keeping animals in their custody without necessary food…
Vermont
Heavy RestrictionsVermont's animal cruelty law applies statewide and addresses neglect including hoarding situations. Under 13 V.S.A. § 352, depriving animals of adequate food, water, shelter, or…
Virginia
Heavy RestrictionsVirginia Code Section 3.2-6503 requires every owner to provide adequate care for companion animals, with criminal penalties for neglect that often underpin hoarding cases.
Washington
Heavy RestrictionsWashington RCW 16.52 criminalizes animal cruelty and neglect statewide, providing the legal foundation for animal hoarding prosecutions when owners fail to provide necessary food…
West Virginia
Heavy RestrictionsWest Virginia does not have a dedicated animal hoarding statute, but its general animal cruelty law criminalizes failure to provide adequate food, water, shelter, and veterinary care…
Wyoming
Some RestrictionsWyoming has no standalone hoarding statute. Large-scale neglect is prosecuted as cruelty under W.S. 6-3-1002 and as keeping household pets in unsanitary, public-health-hazard…
Cities & Counties with Pet Limits Rules
440 locations
Arizona
California
Illinois
Massachusetts
Other Animal Ordinances Topics
Chickens & Livestock
Combined rules for keeping chickens and other livestock such as goats, rabbits, and ducks on residential property, including lot size requirements.
Dog Leash Laws
When and where dogs must be on a leash, off-leash park rules, leash length limits, and penalties for dogs running loose.
Breed Restrictions
Bans or special requirements for specific dog breeds, including breed-specific legislation, muzzle requirements, and insurance mandates.
Beekeeping
Rules for keeping bees in residential areas, including hive placement, number of colonies allowed, and registration requirements.
Exotic Pets
Which non-traditional pets are allowed or banned, such as reptiles, ferrets, potbelly pigs, and other exotic animals.
Wildlife Feeding
Rules about feeding wild animals like deer, coyotes, or feral cats, and requirements for securing trash to prevent wildlife encounters.
Cat Rules
Rules specific to cats, outdoor roaming, feral cat colonies, leash laws (yes, some cities require them), and licensing requirements.
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Requirements that dogs and cats over a certain age be sterilized, with intact-animal permits, exemptions for breeders, and penalties for noncompliance.
Microchipping
Mandates that dogs and cats be microchipped before leaving a shelter or by a certain age, including registration and tag requirements.
Coyote Management
How your city handles urban coyotes, including hazing protocols, feeding bans, and what residents should do when sighting one near homes.
Pet Store Rules
Restrictions on retail pet sales, including bans on commercially bred dogs and cats and rescue-only sourcing requirements.
Pet Groomer Rules
Health and safety standards for commercial pet grooming, including animal-handling certifications, sanitation, and zoning where mobile groomers may operate.
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Where veterinary clinics, animal hospitals, and emergency animal-care facilities may be located, including overnight-boarding and noise buffers.
Bird Protection
Local rules protecting specific bird species (LAMC §53.55), including penalties for trapping or harming protected species and bird-safe building design.
Wildlife Rescue Permits
CDFW and city permits required to rehabilitate injured wildlife, including the Wildlife Rehabilitation Permit program and approved holding facilities.