Bloomfield, NJ Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Section 586-4 of the Bloomfield Township Code, part of the Board of Health's Chapter 586, sets a single numeric cap: no one household may keep more than five permanently domiciled domestic animals over the age of three months at any one time. The cap is one combined number. Cats, dogs and other pets all count toward the same five, so a household does not get five dogs plus five cats.

The section defines its key term. A permanently domiciled domestic animal is any cat, dog or other animal normally considered to be a pet housed at the residence for a period of six months or more. Two thresholds therefore apply: the animal must be over three months old to be counted, and the pet definition reaches animals housed at the residence for six months or more.

The code states its own reason. Because of the density of population in the Township of Bloomfield, and the danger to health caused by a large number of permanently domiciled domestic animals in any one household and the odors arising from them, the Board of Health set the limit. Livestock and fowl are not part of this count because Section 586-1 separately bans them outright.

Section 586-8 adds that where the chapter conflicts with a state or federal regulation, the provision with the higher standard for the health and safety of the people prevails. Feral cats are handled elsewhere: an editor's note in the chapter points to Chapter 134, Animals, Article IV, Feral Cats.