Brockton, MA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

The four-dog cap sits in the licensing chapter rather than a separate zoning rule. Section 3-5(i) reads in full: "No person shall keep or control more than four (4) dogs on a single premises." Section 3-5(k) backs that number with a licensing-side limit: the city clerk "shall not issue any dog or kennel license to any person under the age of eighteen (18), nor issue more than four (4) dog licenses for any single dwelling unit, nor issue any kennel license for any multi-family dwelling or on the premises thereof, or any location which does not comply with the zoning ordinances of the city with respect to kennels." Together the two subsections block a household from both keeping and licensing a fifth dog at the same address.

A resident who wants to keep more than four dogs has to move into the kennel system under Section 3-16 instead. That license "shall specify the maximum number of dogs to be kept on the premises at any one (1) time," set case by case after the animal control officer inspects the site and the board of appeals signs off in writing; the city clerk cannot issue the license without that approval. Kennel license fees run from no charge for a domestic charitable corporation kennel to $100 a year for a personal kennel and $225 a year for a commercial boarding, breeding or veterinary kennel, and every kennel license must be renewed annually.