Hollywood's Animal Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles animal ordinances a little differently. In Hollywood, Florida, there are 8 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

Hollywood's Zoning and Land Development Regulations treat pet care and veterinary offices as a commercial use subject to Section 4.3.J.8's performance standards. Animal boarding must happen inside fully enclosed, air-conditioned buildings engineered to contain noise, and no wall openings can face residentially zoned property, keeping clinics compatible with nearby homes in the city's commercial and office districts.

Key details: Governing section: § 4.3.J.8, Performance Standards, commercial districts. Boarding enclosure: Fully enclosed, air-conditioned building required. Noise design: Boarding area must prevent transmission of noise. Residential-facing walls: No openings permitted facing residential property. Buffer rule: 6-ft opaque wall plus tree screen (§ 4.3.J.5.b).

A veterinary office that boards animals outdoors, in a non-air-conditioned structure, or behind walls with openings facing a residential lot violates Section 4.3.J.8 outright. Under Section 3.3, the city's enforcing officer can require correction of the noncompliant plans or halt construction and use even if a permit was already issued; noncompliant sites also risk losing certificate-of-occupancy approval until the boarding area is rebuilt to meet the enclosed, noise-contained standard.

Breed Restrictions

Hollywood does not single out any breed. Code of Ordinances § 92.18 instead lets an animal control officer or law enforcement officer declare an individual dog dangerous based on documented aggressive behavior, a bite, an attack, or use in dog fighting, then imposes registration, confinement, muzzling and insurance requirements on that specific dog and its owner.

Key details: Governing section: § 92.18, Dangerous Dogs. Basis for declaration: Documented behavior, not breed. Who can declare: Animal control or police officer. Hearing request window: 5 business days after notice. Leash length outside enclosure: 4 feet maximum.

Failing to comply with the leash, muzzle, confinement, signage or permit requirements of § 92.18(G) is a misdemeanor, and any noncompliant dog is subject to immediate seizure and impoundment under Broward County's impoundment procedures. Separately, § 92.99(I) sets a general penalty for violations of §§ 92.18 through 92.22 of a fine up to $250 and/or up to 30 days imprisonment per offense, unless another penalty applies.

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

Pet Store Rules

Hollywood pet shops cannot sell dogs or cats from breeders. Code of Ordinances § 92.57 requires every dog or cat offered for sale to come from an animal rescue organization or animal shelter, and shops must post a Certificate of Source for each animal and hand a copy to every buyer.

Key details: Governing section: § 92.57, Pet Shops. Sourcing rule: Rescue/shelter only, no breeders. Required document: Certificate of Source per animal. Posting distance: Within 3 feet of enclosure. Effective date: June 1, 2016 (Ord. O-2016-11).

Operating without the required Certificate of Source, sourcing dogs or cats from anyone other than a rescue or shelter, or falsifying a certificate violates § 92.57. Under the chapter's general penalty at § 92.99(K), any violation of §§ 92.50 through 92.61, which covers § 92.57, carries a fine of up to $500 and/or up to 60 days imprisonment, and the City Manager can also suspend or revoke the shop's § 92.53 operating license.

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

Chickens & Livestock

Hollywood bans keeping poultry, cattle and other domestic or wild animals citywide except as the Zoning Code separately allows, and bans slaughterhouses outright. Dogs and other small household pets are exempt but can't be kept for breeding. Fowl also can't run at large, and selling baby chicks or ducklings under six weeks old as pets is separately prohibited.

Key details: General rule: Poultry, cattle, other livestock prohibited citywide. Pet exception: Dogs, small domestic pets allowed, no breeding. Grandfather cutoff: Uses lawful before June 10, 1958. Running-at-large fine: $50 first, $100 second, $200 after. Keeping-ban fine: Up to $100 or 60 days jail.

Violating § 92.02's ban on keeping poultry, cattle or other domestic/wild animals is punishable by a fine up to $100 or up to 60 days imprisonment, or both, under § 92.99(C). Running fowl or livestock at large under § 92.03 is a civil infraction: $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second, and $200 for each additional offense in a year, with unpaid penalties risking a judgment up to $500.

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

Dog Leash Laws

Hollywood requires dogs off their owner's property to be effectively restrained by a chain or leash no longer than eight feet under § 92.20(C). Letting a dog wander onto another person's property and cause damage is separately unlawful. Violations fall under § 92.99(I), which sets a fine up to $250 or up to 30 days in jail.

Key details: Leash length limit: 8 feet, chain or leash. Applies: Anywhere off the owner's own property. Dangerous-dog leash limit: 4 feet under § 92.18. Maximum fine: $250. Maximum jail time: 30 days.

Except where another penalty is separately set, violations of §§ 92.18 through 92.22, which includes the § 92.20 leash requirement, are punished under § 92.99(I) by a fine not exceeding $250, imprisonment not exceeding 30 days, or both. A dog declared dangerous that is not kept on the required four-foot leash under § 92.18 faces the same range of penalties.

Bird Protection

Hollywood's entire city limits are declared a bird sanctuary under § 92.01. It's unlawful to hunt, wound, molest, injure or kill any bird within the city, and separately unlawful to capture any bird here for resale or private use. Violators face a fine up to $100 and up to 30 days in jail for each offense.

Key details: Designation: Entire city limits, bird sanctuary. Prohibited acts: Hunt, wound, molest, injure, kill any bird. Also prohibited: Capturing birds for resale or private use. Maximum fine: $100 per offense. Maximum jail time: 30 days per offense.

Under § 92.99(B), violating § 92.01 is punishable by a fine not exceeding $100, imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, or both, for each and every offense. Because the ordinance is charged per offense, capturing or injuring multiple birds in separate incidents can result in multiple, stacked charges.

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

Wildlife Feeding

Hollywood bans feeding ducks or pigeons in a way that creates a public nuisance, defined under § 92.06 to include droppings and feather buildup, attracting vermin, blocking streets or rights-of-way, or damaging real property. Code Enforcement and Police jointly enforce it, and each day of a continuing violation is a separate offense carrying up to a $500 fine.

Key details: What's banned: Feeding ducks/pigeons causing a public nuisance. Nuisance includes: Droppings, vermin, blocked streets, property damage. Enforcing agencies: Code Enforcement and Police Department. Maximum fine: $500 per day of violation. Ordinance dates: Adopted 1997, amended 2005.

Section 92.99(M) sets the penalty for a § 92.06 violation at a fine not to exceed $500, and each day the nuisance-creating feeding continues is treated as a separate offense, so an uncorrected feeding pattern can accumulate daily fines rather than a single flat penalty.

Pet Groomer Rules

A Hollywood pet-grooming business that keeps more than three animals at a time counts as a Commercial Kennel and needs an annual city license before opening. Licenses run through the City Manager's office, expire October 1, and violations carry fines up to $500 or 60 days in jail.

Key details: Governing chapter: Code of Ordinances Ch. 92, § 92.50. License trigger: More than 3 animals at a time. License fee: $25 (up to 25 animals) / $50 (more). License expiration: October 1 annually. Max penalty: $500 fine / 60 days jail.

Operating a grooming business that meets more than three animals without the required Commercial Kennel license, or violating any provision of §§ 92.50 through 92.61 (definitions through minimum care standards), is punishable under § 92.99(K) by a fine of up to $500, imprisonment up to 60 days, or both, upon conviction. The City Manager may also suspend or revoke the license after a hearing.

The Bottom Line

Hollywood is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 8 rules covered here, 4 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Hollywood, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

All of the above reflects Hollywood's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.