Parma, OH Animal Ordinances: Pet Store Rules (2026)

Parma's Codified Ordinances Chapter 709 regulates pet shops rather than banning them, so a licensed store may still sell dogs, cats and other pet animals over the counter; the city has no puppy-mill or retail-ban ordinance on its books. 03. That section requires sufficient, sanitary food and clean water for every animal; vermin-proof, sanitary facilities; a veterinarian-supervised program of disease control, euthanasia and care; daily health observation with isolation of sick animals; enclosures large enough for animals to stand, turn and move naturally, with dogs and cats kept separated from each other; and ventilation that keeps the shop's air fresh, uses air conditioning or exhaust fans once the temperature hits 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and exchanges the air 10 to 12 times per hour.

03(g) sets the sale-age floor at the center of the ordinance: no dog or cat may be sold before reaching eight weeks of age, and no guinea pig, hamster or rabbit may be sold before four weeks. 03(h) requires the shop to take reasonable steps to sell only healthy animals, disclose any defects to a buyer if it does sell an unhealthy one, and never sell an animal with a contagious disease. 04 authorizes Health Department, Building Department or animal warden inspectors to enter and inspect a pet shop at any time, and gives a noncompliant shop 24 hours to correct problems before its license is revoked. 04 of the Business Regulation Code.