Farmington Hills, MI Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Section 6-36 makes it unlawful to "own, possess, shelter, keep, harbor or maintain" more than three dogs and/or three cats six months of age or older on one property at any one time, though the limit does not apply to licensed pet shops, kennels covered by § 6-35, or veterinarians and veterinary hospitals. The three-and-three cap intersects directly with § 6-35's kennel license requirement: that section deems anyone who "possesses, keeps or houses more than three dogs six months old or over on any one property" to be operating a dog kennel, which requires its own license under chapter 8 and is allowed only in zoning districts that permit commercial kennels.

In practice, a resident who wants to keep four or more adult dogs cannot simply exceed the § 6-36 limit; that resident must obtain a kennel license and locate the animals on property zoned for commercial kennel use. All dogs and cats over six months old must also be licensed and, for cats, carry proof of rabies vaccination under § 6-33, regardless of how many animals the household keeps. Because the pet limit is separate from the licensing and vaccination requirement, a household within the three-dog, three-cat cap can still be cited under § 6-33 for failing to license or vaccinate an animal even while remaining within the numeric limit.