Campbell County, KY Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 90.30
- Rule
- No retail dog/cat sales by pet shops
- Exception
- Free shelter/rescue adoption showcases only
- Street/lot sales
- Also banned under § 90.30(B)
- Adopted
- Ord. O-12-24, 12-18-24
- First-offense penalty
- Up to $250 fine or 90 days
Summary
Pet shops in Campbell County cannot display, sell, deliver, barter, or give away any live dog, puppy, cat or kitten. Stores may only host shelters or rescues showcasing animals for adoption, and they can't profit from the space or claim ownership of the adoptable animals.
(A) It shall be unlawful for any pet shop located in Campbell County to display, offer for sale, deliver, barter, auction, give away, transfer, sell any live dog, puppy, cat or kitten. Nothing in this division shall be construed to prohibit the provision of space to an animal shelter or animal rescue to publicly showcase dogs, puppies, cats or kittens available for adoption; provided that the pet shop shall not have an ownership interest in any of the animals offered for adoption and shall not receive a fee for providing such space.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-50: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. O-09-2026, passed 8-5-26; and Res. R-42-26, passed 7-15-26; and State legislation current through KRS Pamphlet 2025).
Full Breakdown
" The section carves out one specific exception: a pet shop may provide space to an animal shelter or animal rescue to publicly showcase adoptable dogs, puppies, cats or kittens, but only if the shop has no ownership interest in those animals and doesn't receive a fee for providing the space. 29 covering commercial breeding establishments. 30(B) bars anyone from offering a dog, puppy, cat or kitten for sale on a street, public right-of-way, parkway, median, park, recreation area, outdoor market, booth, flea market, roadside stand, temporary site or parking lot, regardless of whether the property owner authorized the sale; that street-sale ban likewise exempts shelters, rescue organizations, and displays at state or county fairs, 4-H programs, or similar educational exhibitions. Both provisions were adopted together as Ord. O-12-24, passed 12-18-24, making this a recent, deliberately drafted anti-puppy-mill measure rather than a legacy holdover.
Violations & Fines
Violations fall under Chapter 90's general penalty at § 90.99: a first offense against §§ 90.25 through 90.30 is a Class B misdemeanor carrying up to a $250 fine or up to 90 days in the county jail, or both, and a second or subsequent offense is a Class A misdemeanor carrying up to a $500 fine or up to 365 days in jail, or both, with each animal sold counted as a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a pet store in Campbell County sell puppies or kittens?
Can a store still host an adoption event for a shelter?
Does the ban stop someone from selling puppies out of their home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Campbell County
Compare Campbell County to another location·View the Kentucky animal ordinances overview
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