Hialeah's Animal Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles animal ordinances a little differently. In Hialeah, Florida, there are 6 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

Hialeah allows veterinarians to operate as a permitted professional-services use in the RO residential office district under Code Sec. 98-777, the same category as physicians and dentists. The city draws a hard line elsewhere, though: Secs. 98-973 and 98-1023 flatly bar medical clinics and veterinary offices from the CBD central business district and the OPS office and professional services district.

Key details: Where permitted: RO residential office district, by right. Where prohibited: CBD central business district. Also prohibited: OPS office and professional services district. Classification: Professional services, same tier as physicians.

Operating a veterinary clinic in the CBD or OPS district without first securing a rezoning, or without confirming the property carries an RO or other zoning classification that permits the use, exposes the practice to a certificate-of-use denial and code enforcement action for operating a business use not authorized in that zoning district.

Exotic Pets

Hialeah bans keeping any wild, dangerous or undomesticated animal as a pet, from predatory mammals to reptiles and game birds. Sec. 10-2(a) makes it unlawful to 'harbor, maintain, control...or keep any livestock or wild, dangerous, undomesticated or vicious animals in the city,' and Sec. 10-1 defines the banned category broadly, with only narrow pet-shop and nonpoisonous-snake exceptions.

Key details: Banned category: Wild, dangerous or undomesticated animals (Sec. 10-1). Pet-shop exception: Ordinary pet-store animals allowed (Sec. 10-3(d)). Snake exception: Nonpoisonous snakes if securely kept (Sec. 10-3(c)). Pigeon cap: 20 in R-1, 10 in R-4 districts. Penalty: Up to $500 per day (Sec. 1-11).

Harboring a prohibited wild, dangerous or undomesticated animal is a civil infraction under Sec. 1-11, up to $500.00, with each day of continued possession counting as a separate violation. Because Sec. 10-2(a) also folds in 'vicious animal[s]' as defined by F.S. § 828.27(1)(c), an animal that is not exotic but has a documented history of unprovoked attacks can be cited under the same subsection.

Compared to other cities, Hialeah takes a harder line on exotic pets. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Chickens & Livestock

Hialeah bans keeping livestock, including chickens and other fowl, anywhere in the city except on property lawfully zoned agricultural. Sec. 10-1 defines livestock to include fowl, emus, rheas and ostriches, and Sec. 10-2(a) makes harboring livestock unlawful citywide. The only carve-out is agriculturally zoned land, excluding mobile home parks, where housing must still sit 100 feet from any dwelling.

Key details: Livestock ban: Citywide except agriculturally zoned property. Fowl status: Defined as livestock under Sec. 10-1. Setback on ag land: 100 feet from any dwelling (Sec. 10-4). Penalty: Up to $500 per day (Sec. 1-11). Mobile home parks: Excluded from the agricultural exception.

Keeping chickens or other livestock outside agriculturally zoned property is a civil infraction under Sec. 1-11, punishable by a fine up to $500.00, and 'each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate violation,' so an uncorrected coop can accumulate daily fines quickly. Code enforcement can cite the property owner and order the livestock removed to bring the property into compliance.

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

Dog Leash Laws

Hialeah bars owners from letting any animal roam 'at large,' meaning off the owner's premises or beyond the owner's custody and control. Sec. 10-2(c) makes it unlawful to permit an animal to be at large in the city, and Sec. 10-1 defines the term, so a loose dog on a public street or a neighbor's yard is a Code violation.

Key details: Rule: Animal cannot be left 'at large' (Sec. 10-2(c)). At large means: Off premises or beyond owner's control. Applies to: Any animal, not only dogs. Penalty: Up to $500 per day (Sec. 1-11). Owner defined: Anyone keeping or harboring the animal.

An at-large violation is a civil infraction under Sec. 1-11, the citywide general penalty section, carrying a fine of up to $500.00, and 'each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate violation,' so a dog left running loose for several days can generate a citation for each day it remains unrestrained.

Wildlife Feeding

Hialeah prohibits feeding wildlife that creates public nuisances, particularly feral cats, iguanas, and waterfowl. The city's warm climate and canal systems attract significant wildlife. Miami-Dade County Animal Services enforces wildlife feeding restrictions. Trash must be secured to prevent attracting raccoons, opossums, and rodents.

Key details: Alligator Feeding: Illegal. FL Statute Section 372.667. Feral Cats: TNR program through county. Trash Security: Required to prevent wildlife. Common Wildlife: Iguanas, raccoons, muscovy ducks. Contact: (305) 884-1101 Animal Services.

Feeding alligators is a second-degree misdemeanor under FL law with fines up to $500 and 60 days jail. Local wildlife feeding violations can result in nuisance citations and fines of $50 to $250. Contact Miami-Dade Animal Services at (305) 884-1101.

Beekeeping

Florida law strips Hialeah of any power to regulate backyard beekeeping. F.S. § 586.10(1) preempts 'the authority to regulate, inspect, and permit managed honeybee colonies and to adopt rules on the placement and location of registered inspected managed honeybee colonies' to the state, superseding any city or county ordinance. Hialeah's own Sec. 10-3(b) only exempts bees on agriculturally zoned land from its livestock ban.

Key details: Local control: Preempted to the state (F.S. § 586.10(1)). Hive placement: Ag-classified land or land integral to operation. City's only role: Zoning land as agricultural (Sec. 10-3(b)). Registration: Dept. issues inspection certificates (§ 586.10(3)(k)). City fine risk: Up to $500/day if not on ag land.

There is no beekeeping-specific city fine because Hialeah cannot regulate the practice, but the department can 'revoke or suspend a beekeeper's...certificate of inspection or use of a certificate or permit' for violations of Chapter 586, per Sec. 586.10(3)(l). If a hive sits on land that is not agriculturally zoned and not exempt under Sec. 10-3(b), the property still faces Hialeah's general livestock civil infraction under Sec. 1-11, up to $500.00 per day.

Hialeah is more permissive than most cities when it comes to beekeeping. That said, there are still limits.

The Bottom Line

Hialeah is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 6 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Hialeah, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

This guide is based on Hialeah's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.