New Orleans, LA Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 18-15
- Rabbit rule
- Spay/neuter required before sale or adoption
- Raffle ban
- No animal as a prize/premium at any event
- Record retention
- 12 months, source and health certificate
- Dye ban
- No sale of artificially colored animals, §18-16
- Max penalty
- $500 fine / 6 months, § 18-18(b)
Summary
New Orleans does not ban pet stores from selling dogs or cats, but § 18-15 requires all rabbits sold or adopted in Orleans Parish to be spayed or neutered first, bans raffling or giving away any animal as a prize, and forces retail sellers to keep 12 months of source and health records on every animal sold.
Sec. 18-15. - Sale of rabbits and other animals. (a)All rabbits sold or adopted in Orleans Parish by individuals or pet shops must be spayed or neutered prior to sale or adoption unless certified by a veterinarian as unfit for surgery due to age or other medical condition.(b)The auctioning, raffling or giving away as a prize or premium or advertising device of any animal at public or private events, including at fundraising events, is hereby prohibited.(c)Individuals and retail establishments selling, adopting or placing animals must maintain the following information for a 12-month period after the sale of the animal and make it available for inspection to the agency:(1)The source of each animal available for sale or sold including the name, address, and phone number of animal breeder;(2)A valid health certificate issued by a Louisiana licensed veterinarian prior to sale in Orleans Parish; and(3)A copy of all information provided to the purchaser regarding veterinary care requirements for the specific type of animal for sale.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 116 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
" Subsection (b) reaches wider, it prohibits "auctioning, raffling or giving away as a prize or premium or advertising device of any animal at public or private events, including at fundraising events" for any animal, not just rabbits. Subsection (c) then imposes a recordkeeping mandate on "[i]ndividuals and retail establishments selling, adopting or placing animals," who must keep, for 12 months after each sale and available to the animal-control agency on inspection: the source of the animal including the breeder's name, address, and phone number; a valid Louisiana-veterinarian health certificate issued before the Orleans Parish sale; and a copy of all veterinary-care information given to the purchaser.
There is no separate provision in Chapter 18 that bars retail sale of dogs or cats outright or restricts stores to adoption-only stock, the code's retail control for companion animals is this documentation-and-spay/neuter regime rather than a puppy-mill sourcing ban. Section 18-16 separately forbids selling, raffling, or displaying any animal that has been artificially dyed or colored.
Violations & Fines
Willful failure to comply with § 18-15's spay/neuter or recordkeeping requirements may result in a citation under § 18-18(b), which sets a misdemeanor fine of up to $500.00, imprisonment of up to six months, and/or community service for chapter violations without a specific lesser penalty. The presiding municipal court judge may add further sanctions to protect animal welfare in connection with the proceeding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a New Orleans pet store sell dogs and cats?
Can a pet store raffle off a puppy as a promotion?
What records must a New Orleans retail animal seller keep?
Is it legal to sell a dyed rabbit or chick in New Orleans?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Orleans
Compare New Orleans to another location·View the Louisiana animal ordinances overview
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