Cobb County, GA Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Definition test
- collecting animals without adequate care
- Classified as
- animal cruelty offense
- Seizure authority
- Cobb County Animal Services
- Penalty
- up to $1,000 fine, 60 days jail
Summary
Cobb County defines a hoarder as anyone who collects animals without adequate care or keeps them in filthy, unsanitary conditions, and lists hoarding as a form of criminal animal cruelty under the county code.
Hoarder means a person or entity that: (1) Collects animals and fails to provide them with humane/adequate care; (2) Collects dead animals that are not properly disposed of as required by this chapter; or (3) Collects, houses, or harbors animals in filthy, unsanitary conditions that constitute a health hazard to the animals being kept, and/or to the animals or residents of adjacent property. ... Cruelty to an animal includes but is not limited to: ... (18) Hoarding or collecting animals as defined by this chapter;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53).
Full Breakdown
Section 10-1 defines 'hoarder' by three tests: failing to give collected animals humane care, failing to properly dispose of animals that die, or keeping animals in filthy conditions that endanger the animals or neighboring residents. Section 10-121(a)(18) then folds 'hoarding or collecting animals as defined by this chapter' directly into the cruelty-to-animals offense, alongside neglect, starvation, and inadequate shelter. Hoarded animals can be seized under the chapter's cruelty-impoundment provision.
Violations & Fines
Hoarding is prosecuted as cruelty to animals; a conviction carries the Code's general penalty of up to a $1,000 fine and/or 60 days in jail, and CCAS can confiscate the animals under section 10-121.7.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is animal hoarding its own separate crime in Cobb County?
What conditions make someone a 'hoarder' under Cobb County's code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cobb County
Compare Cobb County to another location·View the Georgia animal ordinances overview
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