Lafayette Parish, LA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Sec. 10-235
- First violation
- Warning only
- Repeat violation fine
- $100 to $250
- Impoundment trigger
- 5 days uncorrected
- Applies to
- City plus unincorporated parish
Summary
Lafayette City-Parish code makes it a nuisance to let animals foul a property with odor, flies or vermin that reaches neighbors, with animal-care-center enforcement escalating from a warning to fines and impoundment.
The owner of an animal shall maintain the property on which such animal is kept, maintained or harbored in such a state so as not to attract flies, insects or other vermin and to assure that any odor therefrom cannot be detected on any adjacent or neighboring property nor interfere with the reasonable use and enjoyment of adjacent or neighboring property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
Section 10-235 requires anyone keeping an animal to maintain the property so it doesn't attract flies, insects or vermin and so odor from it can't be detected on adjacent land. It sits in the article covering both the City of Lafayette and the unincorporated parish. A first violation draws a warning only; a second within a year is a $100 fine or 20 days in jail; a third and later violations rise to $250 or 30 days. If conditions are unchanged five days after a violation and an animal care center officer finds the animal's safety jeopardized, the animal can be impounded under Sec. 10-101 or 10-214.
Violations & Fines
First offense: warning only. Second violation within a year: $100 fine or 20 days jail. Third and later violations: $250 fine or 30 days jail, plus possible impoundment of the animal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lafayette Parish cap how many animals I can own?
What happens if I ignore a cleanliness warning?
Does this rule reach Broussard or Scott?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lafayette Parish
Compare Lafayette Parish to another location·View the Louisiana animal ordinances overview
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