Harrisburg, PA Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)

Section 3-507.1 A of the Harrisburg Codified Ordinances names pet shops directly. Breeders, foster homes, pet shops and similar establishments that keep, harbor, board, shelter, lease, sell or give away more than five dogs and/or cats in a calendar year must apply for a kennel/cattery permit on or before January 1 of each year. Applications go to the Animal Control Section for approval before a permit is issued, and a separate permit is required for every location. Animal shelters, kennels and other institutions registered with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture or the United States Department of Agriculture are exempt, as are animal hospitals and clinics. The fee is $25 plus $25 for each litter of puppies or kittens born, and the first litter born in a calendar year is exempt from the litter fee. Operating without the permit is unlawful under subsection G.

Sale itself comes with duties. Under § 3-507.3, a kennel or cattery that offers a dog or cat for sale must give the buyer a health record at the time of sale covering breed, date of birth, sex, color and markings, vaccinations and parasite medicine, signed and dated by both seller and purchaser. The seller must also supply a statement signed by a licensed veterinarian that the animal is apparently free of contagious or infectious illness, based on an examination no more than 30 days before the sale.

Facility standards apply too. Section 3-507.5 sets minimum primary enclosure space: 30 cubic feet per cat, five square feet for a dog up to 25 pounds, eight square feet for a dog of 25 to 45 pounds, and 12 square feet for a dog over 45 pounds. Operators keep records of every animal for two years, open to inspection by the Animal Control Section or Police Bureau, and the Chief of Police can revoke or refuse a permit after a conviction.