Council Bluffs, IA Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)

Council Bluffs doesn't ban commercial sale of dogs and cats the way some puppy-mill ordinances elsewhere do; instead, CBMC 4.20.045 conditions the sale on a list of animal-welfare and disclosure requirements for any commercial animal establishment licensed by the state of Iowa. Every dog and cat sold must have a distemper vaccination, backed by a certificate naming the treating veterinarian and the treatment date, handed to the purchaser at the time of sale. Transport containers must be sized appropriately and ventilated, with food and water provided; every animal needs food at least once every twenty-four hours and constant access to clean water, and sick animals must be isolated from the rest of the stock.

Enclosures must be built of easily cleaned material, kept sanitary, properly ventilated and sized so an animal can stand, lie down and turn around naturally, with heating and cooling as the species requires. No animal showing malnutrition, illness, infectious disease or unhealed injury can be displayed or sold. The shop must keep sale, purchase, transfer and medical records, including vaccination history, source, date, and buyer's name and address, on the premises for at least twelve months and open to inspection by the administrative authority. Finally, CBMC 4.20.045 bars selling any dangerous animal or animal that is dangerous per se, as defined at CBMC 4.20.020.

The Council Bluffs Police Department's animal control division enforces the chapter and can order an animal taken to a veterinarian if a violation puts its health at risk.