Animal Ordinances in New Rochelle, NY

If you live in New Rochelle or are thinking about moving there, animal ordinances are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. New Rochelle has 10 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of animal ordinances, and some of them might surprise you.

Dog Leash Laws

New Rochelle requires every dog off its owner's property to be restrained on a chain or leash no longer than six feet under City Code § 89-1. Loose dogs found in streets, parks or public grounds may be seized by police and confined at the New Rochelle Humane Society, with redemption governed by state Agriculture and Markets Law § 117.

Key details: Maximum leash length: Six feet. Exception: Ward Acres Park fenced dog run. Enforcement: Police Commissioner may seize loose dogs. Confinement: New Rochelle Humane Society. Redemption rule: Ag. & Markets Law § 117.

Letting a dog run loose off its owner's property, or on a leash longer than six feet, violates § 89-1. The Police Commissioner may seize an unleashed dog under § 89-2 and confine it with the New Rochelle Humane Society; redemption follows Agriculture and Markets Law § 117. Penalties for the offense are set by Agriculture and Markets Law § 118 under § 89-3.

Pet Groomer Rules

New Rochelle's zoning code defines 'animal day care' as a business offering pet grooming, bathing, boarding, recreation, training and related product sales, and confines that use to its two industrial districts. A groomer or day care operator can open by-right in the LI Light Industry District or the LI-H Light Industry Hotel District, added to both districts' permitted use lists in 2015 and 2018, but not in residential or Neighborhood Business zones.

Key details: Definition section: § 331-4, 'Animal Day Care'. Permitted district: LI Light Industry District. Also permitted: LI-H Light Industry Hotel District. LI addition date: October 20, 2015, Ord. No. 203-2015. LI-H created: October 16, 2018, Ord. No. 2018-218.

Operating a pet grooming or animal day care business outside the LI or LI-H District without zoning approval is a zoning violation, enforceable by the Building Official as a code violation subject to a notice of violation, stop-work order, or Building Department summons; the Zoning Code does not carve out a separate fine schedule for this specific use, so citations run through the City's general zoning enforcement and penalty provisions.

Exotic Pets

New Rochelle's Zoning Code defines exactly which animals count as a household pet, and anything outside that list cannot be kept as a pet in any residential district. Goats, ponies, horses, sheep, chickens, roosters, more than four dogs or cats, more than ten gerbils or hamsters, and more than three snakes are excluded outright.

Key details: Household pet cap: 4 dogs/cats over 6 months. Small-animal cap: 10 gerbils/hamsters over 2 months. Snake cap: 3 nonpoisonous snakes max. Excluded species: Goats, ponies, horses, sheep, poultry. First-offense fine: Up to $2,500 (§ 331-140).

Keeping a disqualified animal is enforced as a Zoning Code violation under § 331-140. A first offense carries a fine up to $2,500; a second or subsequent offense within three years carries up to $5,000, and either can include up to 15 days in jail. Each day the animal remains on the property counts as a separate violation, and anyone served an appearance ticket for New Rochelle City Court owes an additional $100 mandatory surcharge.

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

Chickens & Livestock

New Rochelle effectively bars backyard chickens and other farm animals on typical residential lots: City Code § 89-18 requires at least two acres, with a full acre for each animal, and a 50-foot setback from any neighboring residential property line. Violators face a fine of up to $250 per day under § 89-18.1.

Key details: Minimum lot size: Two acres. Land per animal: One full acre. Setback from neighbors: 50 feet. Covers: Equine, swine, bovine, ruminant, avian species. Penalty: Up to $250 per day of violation.

Keeping a chicken, other fowl, or any farm animal on less than two acres, without a full acre per animal and a 50-foot setback from a neighboring residential lot, violates § 89-18A. Grandfathered animals lose protection if the enclosure and roaming conditions in § 89-18B are not met. Section 89-18.1 fines each day of violation up to $250, or up to 15 days in jail.

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

Breed Restrictions

New Rochelle has no breed-specific dog ban: a former Pit Bull Terriers ordinance was repealed in 2001. Instead, City Code § 89-14 regulates any dog trained to attack, called a guard or attack dog, requiring the owner to register it with the City Clerk and post a 12-by-12-inch 'Beware, Dangerous Dog on Premises' sign.

Key details: Regulated by: Trained behavior, not breed. Registration required with: City Clerk. Sign size required: At least 12 by 12 inches. Sign wording: 'Beware, Dangerous Dog on Premises'. Penalty: Up to $250 fine or 15 days jail.

Keeping or harboring a guard dog or attack dog in New Rochelle without registering it with the City Clerk, or without posting the required 12-by-12-inch 'Beware, Dangerous Dog on Premises' sign, violates § 89-14. The penalty under § 89-15 is a fine of not more than $250, imprisonment of not more than 15 days, or both.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. New Rochelle actively enforces its breed restrictions requirements.

Pet Store Rules

New Rochelle bans commercial pet stores from selling any live dog or cat unless the animal came from an animal shelter, humane society, or a nonprofit rescue registered with the New York State Department of Agriculture. The rule, City Code § 89-16, closes off puppy-mill supply chains from the City's retail stores entirely.

Key details: Adopted: September 19, 2017, Ord. No. 179-2017. Allowed sources: Shelters, humane societies, registered rescues. Banned sources: Commercial breeders and brokers. Applies to: Commercial establishments selling live dogs or cats. Registered with: NY State Department of Agriculture.

Selling a live dog or cat in a New Rochelle commercial establishment, unless it came from an animal shelter, humane society, or a New York State-registered nonprofit rescue, violates § 89-16. Pet stores sourcing animals from commercial breeders or brokers are not exempt. Chapter 89's general penalty of up to $250 or up to 15 days' imprisonment applies to violations.

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

Wildlife Feeding

New Rochelle bans feeding wildlife, including deer, geese, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, feral cats and pigeons, on any park or public property, and separately bars leaving out food, birdseed, salt or garbage in a way that attracts wildlife. Adopted in 2016 to curb rabies, Lyme disease and other zoonotic risks, a violation is an offense punishable by up to a $250 fine, 15 days in jail, or both.

Key details: Adopted: September 20, 2016, Ord. No. 180-2016. Covered animals: coyotes, deer, turkeys, raccoons, feral cats, birds. Feeding zone: public property within 100 feet of wildlife. Maximum fine: $250. Maximum jail: 15 days.

Feeding deer, geese, coyotes, raccoons, feral cats or other wildlife on park or public property, or storing garbage, pet food, birdseed or salt where it attracts wildlife, is an offense under § 319-4. A conviction carries a fine of up to $250, up to 15 days in jail, or both, and applies City-wide to any public park or property, not just designated wildlife areas.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. New Rochelle actively enforces its wildlife feeding requirements.

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

New Rochelle's Zoning Code defines an 'animal hospital' as any building for the medical or surgical care of animals, and permits that use by right in four districts: the Neighborhood Business (NB) District plus the LI Light Industry, LI-H Light Industry Hotel and I Industry Districts. A veterinary practice is not a listed use in the City's other business, mixed-use or residential zoning districts.

Key details: Definition section: § 331-4, 'Animal Hospital'. Permitted in: NB Neighborhood Business District. Also permitted in: LI, LI-H and I Industry Districts. NB citation: § 331-56(A)(14). LI-H created: October 16, 2018, Ord. No. 2018-218.

Operating a veterinary hospital or animal clinic offering medical or surgical care outside the NB, LI, LI-H or I Districts without zoning relief is a zoning code violation enforced by the Building Official through the City's standard code enforcement process, including a notice of violation and potential Building Department summons; the Zoning Code sets no use-specific fine for this violation, so penalties follow the Code's general zoning enforcement provisions.

Pet Limits

New Rochelle's Zoning Code caps the number of dogs or cats a household can keep as an accessory 'household pet' use at four animals over six months old; a fifth dog or cat, or any goat, pony, horse, sheep or rooster, is defined out of the household-pet category entirely. That cap also applies to gerbils and hamsters (10 max) and nonpoisonous snakes (3 max).

Key details: Definition section: § 331-4, 'Household Pet'. Dog/cat cap: four animals over six months old. Gerbil/hamster cap: 10 animals over two months old. Snake cap: three nonpoisonous snakes. Excluded animals: goats, ponies, horses, sheep, roosters.

Keeping more than four dogs or cats over six months old, more than 10 gerbils or hamsters over two months old, or more than three nonpoisonous snakes at a residence exceeds the accessory 'household pet' use every residential district permits by right under § 331-4, making the property noncompliant with its zoning district's permitted accessory uses and subject to the City's standard zoning enforcement and notice-of-violation process.

Cat Rules

New Rochelle has no cat licensing program, but City Code § 89-4 bars any cat, dog or other animal from committing a nuisance on sidewalks or on another person's property, and § 89-5 requires the owner to immediately clean up any feces the animal leaves in a public area.

Key details: Cat licensing: None required in New Rochelle. Nuisance ban: Applies to cats under § 89-4. Waste removal duty: Immediate, under § 89-5. Exempt animals: Licensed Seeing Eye dogs. Penalty: Up to $250 fine or 15 days jail.

Letting a cat commit a nuisance on a sidewalk or another person's property violates § 89-4. Failing to immediately remove a cat's feces from a public area or unowned private property violates § 89-5, unless the animal is a licensed Seeing Eye dog. Either offense is punishable under § 89-6 by a fine up to $250, up to 15 days in jail, or both.

New Rochelle is more permissive than most cities when it comes to cat rules. That said, there are still limits.

The Bottom Line

New Rochelle is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 10 rules covered here, 5 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in New Rochelle, 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 New Rochelle 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.