Bergenfield, NJ Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)

Section 95-3 of the Borough Code, part of Chapter 95's Dogs article, is Bergenfield's only regulation of retail pet sales, and it is a licensing ordinance, not a sale ban or an adoption-only requirement. Anyone who keeps, operates, or proposes to establish a kennel, pet shop, shelter, or pound must apply to the Borough Clerk for a license before opening, and the application must describe the premises and be accompanied by the written approval of the Board of Health's Health Officer confirming compliance with local and state sanitation and location rules.

Licenses state the purpose for which the establishment is maintained, are not transferable to a new owner or a different address, and expire every January 31, subject to revocation by the Borough Council on the recommendation of the State Department of Health or the Borough Board of Health after a hearing. Section 95-3D sets the annual fees: $10 for a kennel housing 10 or fewer dogs, $25 for a larger kennel, $10 for a pet shop, and no fee for a shelter or pound. A licensed pet shop, kennel, shelter, or pound may keep dogs on the premises without individually licensing each one, but Section 95-3E requires any dog taken off the premises to be on a leash or otherwise safely confined.

Nothing in Chapter 95 restricts what a licensed pet shop may sell or requires that animals come only from shelters, so a Bergenfield pet shop may sell dogs and cats commercially so long as it holds a current Borough license and Health Officer approval.