Smyrna, GA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Sections 46-6 and 46-7 cap pets per lot. Section 46-6(a) allows the keeping of dogs as an accessory use on any lot, provided the dogs are for personal use and enjoyment and not for commercial purposes. Section 46-6(b) counts only dogs six months or older. One to two dogs have no lot-size requirement. Three dogs need a lot of 20,000 square feet, four dogs need 30,000 square feet, and five or more dogs need 40,000 square feet, plus 10,000 square feet for each additional dog above five.

Section 46-7(b) limits cats six months of age or older on any lot under its own table. The table reads Up to 4 cats with a minimum lot size of 1 acre or less, then 1 additional cat for each additional 1/4 acre. Kittens under six months are not counted in the cat limit, just as puppies under six months are not counted in the dog limit.

Commercial keeping is treated differently. Section 46-7(a) says the harboring of cats for commercial purposes, including breeding and sale of cats, shall not be allowed except as may be provided under licensing provisions in the ordinances of the city. Section 46-6(a) limits the accessory-use allowance for dogs to personal use and enjoyment and not commercial purposes. Both sections end with the same carve-out: the limitation does not apply to veterinary clinics, licensed animal shelters, pet shops or grooming establishments.

The limits attach to the lot, so a duplex, townhome or apartment complex is measured by its lot, not by each unit. Neither section carries its own penalty. Section 1-8 covers violations of any provision where no specific penalty is provided, and Section 14-2 says violations of the animal chapter are punished as provided in Section 1-8. Chapter 14 defines CCAC as the Cobb County Animal Control Unit and Shelter, and Section 14-5 sets jurisdiction for enforcing that chapter within the city limits of Smyrna.