Jonesboro, AR Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Section 10-45 sets the citywide ceiling at five dogs over three months of age per household; dog hospitals and veterinarians are exempt for dogs kept on the premises of their normal place of business, but no other exemption is written into the section, so a private residence, rescue foster, or hobby breeder is held to the same five-dog cap. The section shifts the burden of proof once a sixth dog turns up: finding more than five dogs on an owner's premises counts as prima facie evidence of a violation, and it is up to the owner to show the ages of the dogs to prove some are puppies under three months and do not count toward the cap.

The rule sits alongside Section 10-10's broader five-animal-or-fowl limit that covers other pets and livestock, excluding cattle and horses, but dogs get their own dedicated cap and evidentiary rule in Section 10-45 rather than being folded into the general count. Every dog over three months also has to carry a rabies vaccination tag under Section 10-46, and any dog picked up without a tag can be treated as a stray and humanely destroyed within 24 hours if not reclaimed. 03, derived from Ordinance No. 2769.