Bristol, PA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

The numeric pet limit in Bristol Borough applies to cats. Section 2-603 makes it unlawful for any person to keep more than four cats per 500 square feet of lot area within the Borough of Bristol. The limit is tied to the size of the lot, not to the household, so lot area controls how many cats are allowed. A litter of kittens can be kept for a period not to exceed six months from the date of birth. The limit does not apply to kennels that are licensed by the State of Pennsylvania and have received an occupancy certificate from the Borough for that use. Ordinance 1295 amended the section on September 9, 2013.

For dogs and other household pets the code prints no number. Section 2-504 makes it unlawful to keep any household pet except as the section provides. If a pet is kept in a dwelling owned or occupied by its owner, the owner must follow such procedures and practices as to the number of pets kept there, and as to sanitation, to insure that no public nuisance is created or maintained and no threat to the health of persons living elsewhere than in the dwelling is created. The standard is performance based: the number of dogs is acceptable only so long as no nuisance or health threat results.

A household pet kept in an enclosure outside the dwelling falls under § 2-503 as it applies to small animals, which means the quarters must be at least 25 feet from the exterior limits of any dwelling or property line, and the keeper must collect droppings daily in a rat-proof, fly-tight container. A household pet is defined in § 2-501 as any dog, cat or other domestic animal normally and ordinarily kept in or permitted to be at large in the dwelling of its owner.

Animal noise under § 2-302 and animal waste under Part 4 apply to every pet regardless of the number kept.