Lowell sets no numeric per-household limit on the number of dogs or cats a resident may keep; instead, every dog over six months must be licensed and larger numbers are regulated through the kennel-license provisions of Chapter 104. Massachusetts state law (MGL c.140 Sec.137) supplies the underlying licensing requirement.
No Lowell-specific ordinance imposes a fixed numeric cap on the number of household dogs or cats; the city instead controls pet keeping through licensing and kennel regulation. Chapter 104, Article I requires registration and a license for each dog (Sec. 104-2) and separately regulates kennels and kennel license fees (Sec. 104-3 and Sec. 104-4) for owners keeping enough dogs to meet the kennel definition. This local framework rests on Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 140, Section 137, which requires that 'The owner or keeper of a dog over the age of 6 months shall obtain a license for the dog,' and on MGL c.140, Section 173, which authorizes a city to make additional ordinances or bylaws relative to the licensing and control of animals not inconsistent with the state animal-control sections. Because there is no household pet cap in the code, the practical limit on companion dogs is reached when keeping crosses into kennel territory under Sec. 104-3.
Keeping enough dogs to constitute a kennel without obtaining the kennel license required under Section 104-3 / Section 104-4 is enforced by Lowell Animal Control through the citation and noncriminal-disposition process in Section 104-16 and Section 104-17. Failure to license an individual dog over six months old is separately enforceable under MGL c.140, Section 137, and the local licensing provisions of Section 104-2.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Lowell, MA
Lowell Code Section 204-4C(1)-(4) declares unlawful any unnecessary motor noise (backfiring, racing, tire-screeching), improper horn/signaling-device use, di...
Lowell, MA
Lowell Code Section 204-3 sets a full district-by-time dBA table (residential 40-50 dB(A), industrial up to 70 dB(A) daytime), measured at the property bound...
Lowell, MA
Lowell restricts gas-powered leaf blower use to daytime hours; no outright ban exists, but decibel and hour limits apply under the general noise ordinance.
Lowell, MA
Outdoor music at restaurants, breweries, and event venues in Lowell requires an entertainment license and must end by 10 p.m. in residential zones.
Lowell, MA
Lowell operates residential permit-parking areas (Pawtucketville, West Pawtucketville, Acre/Highlands) where on-street parking from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. r...
Lowell, MA
Lowell driveway curb cuts require a DPW permit, paving is recommended for dust control, and front-yard parking on lawns is prohibited under the zoning code.
See how Lowell's pet limits rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.