How Burlington Handles Animal Ordinances: A Practical Guide

Burlington maintains 113 local ordinances across all categories, and 11 of those deal specifically with animal ordinances. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Burlington falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Beekeeping

Burlington lets residents keep bees, but a hive within 50 feet of any property line needs a five-foot flight barrier, plant or artificial, and every colony must have a fresh water source on site. Schools and universities keeping bees for study are exempt from the section entirely.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 104-15. Barrier trigger: Hive within 50 feet of a lot line. Required barrier height: At least five feet. Water requirement: Fresh, clean watering facility on-site. Exemption: School or university study/observation hives.

Section 104-19 routes any violation of Chapter 104, including a beekeeper who skips the required flight barrier or watering station, to the general penalty in Chapter 1, § 1-4: a first offense draws a forfeiture of $5 to $500 plus costs of prosecution, and a second offense of the same provision within one year raises that to $10 to $1,000. Unpaid forfeitures can mean county jail time, capped at 90 days.

Exotic Pets

City Code § 104-16(B) flatly forbids keeping any wild animal as a pet anywhere in Burlington. A separate clause in the same section bars keeping wild or vicious animals for display or exhibition, with a narrow carve-out for zoos, performing-animal exhibitions, and circuses.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 104-16(B). Prohibited conduct: Keeping any wild animal as a pet. Related ban: § 104-16(A) wild animals for display/exhibition. Institutional exception: Zoos, circuses, performing-animal exhibitions. Rescue mechanism: Temporary permit for homeless native infant animals.

Keeping a wild animal as a pet violates § 104-16(B), and like every other Chapter 104 offense it is penalized under § 104-19 through the Chapter 1, § 1-4 general schedule: a first offense carries a forfeiture of $5 to $500 plus prosecution costs, a second offense within one year carries $10 to $1,000, and nonpayment can mean up to 90 days in the county jail.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Burlington actively enforces its exotic pets requirements.

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

Burlington zones veterinary clinics differently by district. City Code § 315-15.C(7) requires a 100-foot setback from any property boundary for clinics and animal enclosures in the A-1 Agricultural District, while § 315-26.D(10) requires B-1 Neighborhood Business District clinics to keep all services, including boarding, inside an enclosed building.

Key details: A-1 district setback: 100 feet from property boundary. B-1 district rule: All services inside enclosed building. Permit type: Conditional use, Plan Commission approval. A-1 citation: § 315-15.C(7). B-1 citation: § 315-26.D(10).

A veterinary clinic in the A-1 district that places a structure or animal enclosure closer than 100 feet to a property boundary violates § 315-15.C(7). A B-1 clinic that offers any service, including animal boarding, outside an enclosed building violates § 315-26.D(10), and either breach can put the conditional use permit before the Plan Commission for review or revocation.

Cat Rules

Every cat in Burlington over five months old must be licensed annually at City Hall under § 104-4, with proof of rabies vaccination required first. Cats may not run at large under § 104-8, though unlike dogs they are not required to be held during impoundment unless suspected of rabies.

Key details: License: Annual, required for cats over 5 months. Prerequisite: Current rabies vaccination proof. Fee increase: After April 1 each license year. Impoundment hold: Only if rabies suspected. Feral colonies: Not addressed in the Code.

An unlicensed or untagged cat may be impounded under § 104-5F, with a reclaiming owner paying an impoundment fee under § 104-8D(3) plus the reasonable cost of the cat's care. A cat found running at large is impounded under § 104-8D and, if not reclaimed within seven days (when rabies is suspected), may be disposed of under state law. Chapter-wide violations carry the § 1-4 forfeiture: $5 to $500 for a first offense.

Coyote Management

Burlington's only citywide rule on coyotes, deer and other wildlife culls sits in the Airport chapter: § 93-1C(9) lets the Airport Manager authorize hunting and firearm discharge on Burlington Municipal Airport property once wildlife becomes a safety hazard, but only after nonlethal mitigation is tried first and only with sign-off from the DNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or the Chief of Police.

Key details: Scope: Burlington Municipal Airport property only. Trigger: Wildlife safety hazard (deer, geese, coyote). Required first: Nonlethal mitigation attempts. Sign-off needed: DNR, USFWS or Chief of Police. Firearms: Governed by § 308-3.

Section 93-1C(9) does not itself set a forfeiture; discharging a firearm without the required DNR, USFWS or police sign-off would instead be enforced through Chapter 308's firearm-discharge rules and the general Code penalty at § 1-4, a forfeiture of $5 to $500 for a first offense and $10 to $1,000 for a repeat within a year, plus the costs of prosecution.

Pet Limits

Burlington caps ownership at five dogs and five cats per household under § 104-10, a limit the Common Council adopted after finding that keeping unlimited numbers of dogs and cats is a public nuisance. A litter of pups or kittens can be kept up to five months from birth without counting toward the cap.

Key details: Limit: 5 dogs and 5 cats per household. Litter exception: Up to 5 months from birth. Exception: Licensed breeding, sale, sporting, boarding. Kennel setback: 100+ feet from residential lot. Basis: Council found unlimited pets a nuisance.

Keeping more than five dogs or five cats without qualifying as a breeding, sale, sporting or boarding establishment is a Chapter 104 violation enforced under § 104-19 and the general Code penalty at § 1-4: a $5 to $500 forfeiture for a first offense, $10 to $1,000 for a repeat within a year, plus prosecution costs and possible jail time of up to 90 days if unpaid.

Breed Restrictions

Burlington has no breed-specific ban. Instead, § 104-16(C) lets officers seize any animal found off its owner's premises and, once a court finds it vicious, authorizes a police or humane officer to kill it. The rule turns on proven behavior, not breed.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 104-16(C). Standard used: Judicial vicious-character finding, not breed. Seizure authority: Police officer or humane officer. Possible outcome: Court-authorized killing of the animal. Exemptions: Law enforcement, military, and restrained guard animals.

Harboring or keeping a vicious animal within the City is itself a violation of § 104-16(C), and Chapter 104's closing penalty section, § 104-19, subjects it to the Chapter 1, § 1-4 general schedule: $5 to $500 forfeiture plus costs for a first offense, $10 to $1,000 for a repeat within one year, with unpaid forfeitures convertible to county jail time up to 90 days.

Compared to other cities, Burlington takes a harder line on breed restrictions. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Dog Leash Laws

Burlington bans letting a dog run at large under § 104-8A, defined as anywhere off the owner's own premises unless the dog is leashed and controlled by someone able to handle it, or is off-leash inside the fenced City dog park. Loose dogs are impounded by police and held at least seven days.

Key details: At-large ban: Dog anywhere off owner's premises. Exception: Leashed dog under handler's control. Exception: Off-leash inside fenced City dog park. Impoundment hold: Minimum seven days. Tagged dog notice: Owner notified within 24 hours.

Running a dog at large, or keeping one unlicensed or untagged, triggers impoundment under § 104-5F and § 104-8D, plus the reasonable costs of custody and a Common Council-set impoundment fee to reclaim the animal. A Chapter 104 conviction otherwise carries the § 1-4 penalty: $5 to $500 for a first offense, $10 to $1,000 for a second within a year, plus prosecution costs.

Chickens & Livestock

Burlington bars keeping cattle, cows, horses, sheep, swine, goats, chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese or other livestock anywhere in the City under § 104-2, with no backyard-chicken carve-out. The only exceptions are property zoned agricultural and livestock passing through the City on the way to being shipped elsewhere.

Key details: Banned animals: Cattle, horses, sheep, swine, goats, chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese. Backyard chickens: No exception, banned citywide. Exception: Land zoned agricultural. Exception: Livestock in transit for shipment. Special permit: Circus/exhibition animals only.

Violating § 104-2, or any Chapter 104 provision, carries the general Code penalty set at § 1-4 under § 104-19: a forfeiture of $5 to $500 for a first offense and $10 to $1,000 for a repeat conviction within one year, plus prosecution costs, with jail time of up to 90 days possible if a forfeiture goes unpaid.

Compared to other cities, Burlington takes a harder line on chickens & livestock. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Pet Groomer Rules

Burlington bans pet grooming as a home occupation under City Code § 315-10.C(15)(c), but allows a standalone pet grooming shop as a conditional use in the B-1 Neighborhood Business District under § 315-26.D(12), provided all sales, services, boarding and breeding stay inside an enclosed building.

Key details: Home occupation status: Prohibited, § 315-10.C(15)(c). Allowed as: B-1 conditional use, § 315-26.D(12). Building requirement: All sales/services inside enclosed building. Boarding/breeding: Not allowed on premises. Permit body: City Plan Commission, § 315-130.

Pet grooming operated as a home occupation is a zoning violation of § 315-10.C(15)(c) regardless of scale. A licensed B-1 pet grooming shop that offers services outdoors or boards or breeds animals on-site breaks the enclosed-building condition of § 315-26.D(12), exposing the conditional use permit to Plan Commission review and possible revocation.

Bird Protection

Burlington's animal code flatly bans injuring, destroying, shooting at, or throwing stones at any bird inside city limits. The Police Department enforces the ban alongside a separate pigeon-nuisance rule, and violators face the Chapter 1 general forfeiture schedule: $5 to $500 for a first offense, more for repeats.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 104-13. Prohibited act: Injuring, killing, or shooting at any bird. Enforcing agency: Burlington Police Department. First-offense forfeiture: $5 to $500 plus costs. Second-offense forfeiture: $10 to $1,000 within one year.

A first violation of Section 104-13 draws the Chapter 1, Section 1-4 general forfeiture: not less than $5 nor more than $500, plus costs of prosecution. A second offense of the same provision within one year raises the forfeiture to $10 to $1,000. Failure to pay a forfeiture and costs can result in jail in the county jail until paid, capped at 90 days. Section 1-4(B) also makes each day a violation continues a separate offense.

This is one of the stricter rules in Burlington's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

The Bottom Line

Burlington is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 11 rules covered here, 4 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Burlington, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

Keep in mind that Burlington can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.