Roanoke County, VA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Section 5-24(a) sets the county's per-dwelling pet ceiling: harboring more than three dogs over four months old is unlawful unless a multiple dog permit has been issued pursuant to this article, and harboring more than six cats over four months old, of which no more than two may be fertile, is unlawful outright, with no permit route listed for cats. The limit runs per dwelling, not per person, so a multi-adult household is capped the same as a single owner. Agricultural properties are carved out: § 5-24(a) exempts any dwelling that is part of an active agricultural operation or usage as defined by the zoning ordinance for the county.

The section also preserves two narrow, dated accommodations: § 5-24(b) let anyone who already owned four dogs as of July 26, 2005, register for a sixty-day grace period and keep the fourth dog until it died, after which the household reverts to three; and § 5-24(c) lets a person fostering through the Regional Center for Animal Care and Protection's sanctioned foster program keep up to four dogs over four months old for ninety days, extendable by the foster program, while they comply with the program's rules.

Because the 'kennel' definition in § 5-21 covers more than three dogs four months of age or older, a household that wants to exceed the dog limit outside the foster or 2005 grandfather routes effectively needs the multiple dog permit that Chapter 5 treats as a kennel license.