West New York, NJ Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Article VII of Chapter 174 of the Code of the Town of West New York was adopted 7-21-2016 as Ord. No. 16/16. Section 174-33 A sets the cap: no family shall own, keep or harbor more than three cats and/or dogs, or any combination thereof not to exceed three, per household. Subsection B caps licensing the same way, so a family cannot apply for more than three licenses for cats and/or dogs under the article.

The definition of family in subsection C is what gives the cap bite in a dense town. A family includes all residents using a particular premises, related or not related, and under no circumstance can there be more than three cat/dog licenses at one household. Unrelated roommates sharing an apartment are therefore counted together as one family. The section prints no exception, no grandfathering and no separate allowance for puppies or kittens.

The cap sits beside the dog licensing rules. Section 174-2 requires a license and registration tag for each and every dog, with the fee set in Chapter 186, Art. II, Health Department Fees. Under § 174-3 the license fee is due on the first day of February each year and expires on the 31st day of January of the following year, and the full amount is payable for any fraction of a year. Section 174-1 defines a kennel as any premises where four or more dogs are kept for any purpose other than veterinary care, and § 174-4 charges kennel operators and dog boarders a separate kennel license fee in lieu of individual dog license taxes.

Landlords carry duties too. Under Article III, anyone who owns, manages or controls a multiple dwelling, defined in § 174-24 as a building or commonly owned tract with three or more dwelling units, and who allows tenants to keep a cat, dog or other animal, must provide a place on private property where the animals can discharge excreta and keep it clean and sanitary (§§ 174-19 and 174-20).