Scranton, PA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

A(1) sets the combined household ceiling: on a residential lot smaller than one acre the total number of dogs and cats over three months of age is capped at six, and on any lot one acre or larger the cap rises to twelve. The same section requires animals to be kept free of odor and noise nuisances, cross-referencing the citywide sound limits in § 445-24A and the odor standards in § 445-24C, and requires every animal to be properly immunized. Owners who want to keep animals beyond ordinary household pets, such as chickens, ducks, rabbits or honeybees, must first file a zoning permit application with the Zoning Officer, pay a $25 fee (adjustable by City Council resolution), and disclose the property address, the animals and activities proposed, and the location, size and distance of any shelter from neighboring lots.

Chickens, ducks and rabbits are separately capped by lot size, roughly one bird or rabbit per 1,000 square feet above a 20,000-square-foot base lot, roosters are banned outright, and honeybee hives must sit at least 25 feet from any property line and 50 feet from a neighboring dwelling. Dead animals must be disposed of within 48 hours of death, consistent with the state's Domestic Animal Law, Title 3, Chapter 23, § 2352 of the Pennsylvania Code.