Homestead, FL Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Sec. 4-90, originally adopted by Ord. No. 99-02-07 in 1999 and amended by Ord. No. 2013-05-15, is Homestead's mechanism for capping how many dogs a residential property can keep without special approval. Subsection (a) adopts, by reference, the definitions in Chapter 5, "Animals and Fowl," of the Miami-Dade County Code that establish what uses constitute a kennel for regulatory purposes, rather than writing a fresh numeric threshold into the city's own text. Subsection (b) supplies the enforcement trigger: if the city's code compliance department determines that the dogs kept on a property meet that county kennel definition, the city must give the property owner notice, and the owner is then required to apply for and obtain the permits necessary to bring the property into compliance, whether that means reducing the number of dogs kept or securing a kennel-use permit consistent with the zoning code cross-referenced in Chapter 30.

The section functions as a permit trigger rather than a flat household cap, meaning a resident's legal dog count depends on whether the property has crossed the county's kennel threshold as applied by the city. No separate fine is written into Sec. 4-90 itself, so a property owner who ignores the notice and fails to obtain the required permit is subject to Chapter 7 code enforcement board proceedings and the code's general penalty provision for continuing, uncorrected violations.