The Revised Code of the Consolidated City and County does not impose a flat numerical limit on the number of dogs or cats a household may keep; instead, every dog and cat must carry permanent identification (microchip or permanent tag) under Sec. 531-202, and keeping animals in numbers that create a nuisance or that meet the kennel threshold triggers additional regulation. Indiana state law does not cap household pet numbers, so the local code controls.
Indianapolis does not set a simple 'no more than X dogs or cats' limit in Chapter 531 the way many cities do. Instead, the Code regulates the keeping of animals through identification, nuisance, and kennel provisions. Sec. 531-202 requires that a person who owns a dog or cat in the consolidated city and county ensure that each dog or cat bears a permanent means of identification at all times, such as a microchip or a permanent tag with owner contact information, so that the owner can be ascertained accurately, quickly, and easily. Households keeping animals in numbers large enough to meet the Code's kennel definition must comply with kennel/zoning requirements, and keeping animals so as to create a nuisance is independently prohibited (see Sec. 531-204). Because Indiana state law (Title 15, Article 20) does not establish a statewide cap on the number of household dogs or cats, the local ordinance and Marion County zoning provisions are the operative authority. IC 15-20-1-1 confirms that the consolidated city-county may adopt such ordinances so long as they do not conflict with state law.
Failing to provide permanent identification for a dog or cat violates Sec. 531-202 and is enforced by Indianapolis Animal Care Services through citation. Keeping animals in numbers that create a nuisance, or operating an unpermitted kennel, can lead to enforcement under the nuisance and kennel provisions of Chapter 531, including civil penalties and abatement orders.
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