How Parma Handles Animal Ordinances: A Practical Guide
Parma maintains 135 local ordinances across all categories, and 10 of those deal specifically with animal ordinances. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Parma falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Coyote Management
Parma bans owning or harboring a coyote outright under Codified Ordinances 618.09(a)(9), and separately prohibits hunting or trapping any animal citywide under 618.21, with one narrow exception: a Police Chief-issued archery permit for white-tailed deer damage control, plus City-sponsored deer culling by trained personnel on approved land.
Key details: Coyote ownership: Flatly banned, Codified Ordinances 618.09(a)(9). General hunting/trapping: Prohibited citywide, Section 618.21(a), (c). Deer archery permit: Issued only by the Police Chief. Minimum parcel: Three contiguous acres for bow hunting. City deer culls: Firearms-trained personnel, ODNR Division of Wildlife approval.
Owning a coyote violates Section 618.09(a)(9), a misdemeanor of the third degree under division (j), with each day of continued possession a separate offense. Hunting, killing, or trapping any animal without the Chief of Police's archery permit or ODNR's cull authorization violates Section 618.21(a) or (c), a misdemeanor of the first degree; obstructing an approved deer cull under division (e) is a second-degree misdemeanor that escalates to first-degree on a repeat offense.
Compared to other cities, Parma takes a harder line on coyote management. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.
Beekeeping
Parma allows backyard beekeeping in residential zones but caps it at two hives on a 6,000-square-foot lot, rising to four hives on a half-acre. Codified Ordinances 618.29 requires every hive to sit at least five feet from property lines with flight paths steered away from neighbors, plus an on-site water source, and makes neglected hives a fourth-degree misdemeanor.
Key details: Governing section: Codified Ordinances 618.29(a). Small lot cap: Two hives on 6,000 sq ft. Half-acre cap: Four hives maximum. Hive setback: Five feet from property lines. Water source: Required, five feet from property line.
Exceeding the two-hive or four-hive cap, placing a hive closer than five feet to a property line, or letting the County Inspector find neglected bees violates Section 618.29 and is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree under Section 698.02's general penalty, with each day of the violation counted separately. Ignoring the Building Commissioner's three-day removal notice for an unwanted hive or nest also triggers the presumption in division (e) that the insects are being kept in violation of the section.
Pet Limits
Parma's animal control code does not set a flat numeric cap on pets, but Codified Ordinances 618.01(t) defines a 'kennel' as any premises with five or more cats, kittens, dogs, or puppies. Cross five animals and the property falls under the same regulatory definition used for boarding and breeding operations, making four the practical ceiling for an ordinary household.
Key details: Kennel threshold: Five or more cats and/or dogs. Practical household ceiling: Four dogs/cats before kennel rules attach. Governing section: Codified Ordinances 618.01(t). Exempt: Licensed commercial animal establishments. Enforced by: City-County Health Officer, animal control officers.
The Parma code does not list a stand-alone penalty for exceeding four pets, since 618.01(t) is a definitions section, not an offense. Practical exposure comes from the underlying chapter: an owner whose premises meets the kennel definition without complying with commercial animal establishment or zoning requirements risks a nuisance, noise, or care citation under Sections 618.02, 618.07, or 618.08, each enforced by animal control officers and the Health Officer.
If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Parma gives residents more flexibility on pet limits.
Cat Rules
Parma's leash law covers cats as explicitly as dogs. Codified Ordinances 618.05(a) bars any owner from letting an animal, including dogs and cats, run at large anywhere in the city, defining 'at large' as outside a structure, secure fence, or leash, or improperly tethered. Violators face a second-degree misdemeanor, with a separate offense for each day the cat remains loose.
Key details: Governing section: Codified Ordinances 618.05(a). Applies to: Dogs and cats by name. Penalty: Misdemeanor of the second degree. Continuing violation: Separate offense each day at large. Exception: Dogs in certified obedience training only.
Letting a cat or dog run at large in Parma is a misdemeanor of the second degree under Section 618.05(d), and because the ordinance treats each day of a continuing violation as a new offense, an owner who does not retrieve a loose cat can face additional charges the longer it stays out. Animal control officers and the Police Division investigate at-large complaints and can impound a roaming cat under the chapter's separate impounding provisions.
Chickens & Livestock
Parma outlaws keeping chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, or any other fowl, and separately bans horses, mules, cattle, sheep, goats, and swine, anywhere in the city. Codified Ordinances 618.09(b) and (d) allow only a narrow school exception for hatching chicks or ducklings for education, and a named exemption for the historic Stearns Homestead farm museum.
Key details: Governing section: Codified Ordinances 618.09(b), (d). Banned fowl: Chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and other fowl. Banned livestock: Horses, mules, cattle, sheep, goats, swine. School exception: Hatching chicks/ducks, given away within two weeks. Named exemption: Stearns Homestead historical farm museum.
Keeping a chicken, duck, or any other fowl, or any horse, cattle, sheep, goat, or swine, in Parma is a misdemeanor of the third degree under Section 618.09(j), and the code treats each day the animals remain on the property as a new offense. Animal control officers can order the animals removed, and the Stearns Homestead exemption in division (f) is the only defense available to a residential property owner.
This is one of the stricter rules in Parma's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.
Bird Protection
Parma's animal abuse ordinance flatly bans killing any bird or disturbing its nest anywhere in the city. Codified Ordinances 618.03(g) applies to every species, with a narrow carve-out in division (i) for licensed pest-control operators using EPA-approved materials. A first offense is a first-degree misdemeanor; any repeat offense is elevated to a fifth-degree felony.
Key details: Governing section: Codified Ordinances 618.03(g). First offense: Misdemeanor of the first degree. Repeat offense: Felony of the fifth degree. Exception: EPA-approved pest control by certified applicators. Covers: All birds and their nests citywide.
Violating Section 618.03(g) is a misdemeanor of the first degree on a first offense and escalates to a felony of the fifth degree for any subsequent violation, among the steepest penalty jumps in Parma's animal code. The Parma Police Division and animal control officers investigate reports of shot, poisoned, or trapped birds and disturbed nests. A licensed pest-control operator who uses non-approved materials or skips the required notice to the Animal Warden's office loses the division (i) exemption and faces the same charge as an unlicensed violator.
Compared to other cities, Parma takes a harder line on bird protection. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.
Breed Restrictions
Parma does not impose breed-specific legislation; the city follows Ohio's behavior-based dangerous dog framework under ORC 955.11 (amended by HB 14 in 2012). Pit bulls and other breeds are legal, but any dog deemed dangerous or vicious faces containment, insurance, and registration requirements.
Key details: Breed Ban: None. State Law: ORC 955.11 (2012 HB 14). Dangerous Dog Insurance: 100,000 dollars. Approach: Behavior-based. Code: Parma CO Ch 505.
Failure to comply with dangerous dog rules: 4th-degree misdemeanor. Vicious dog violations: 1st-degree misdemeanor, up to 1,000 dollars and 180 days jail. Dog may be euthanized.
Exotic Pets
Parma prohibits dangerous wild animals under ORC 935 (Ohio's 2012 Dangerous Wild Animal Act), which bans private ownership of big cats, bears, primates, and large constrictors statewide. Parma CO 505 adds local prohibitions on keeping farm livestock in residential zones.
Key details: State Law: ORC 935. Banned: Big cats, bears, primates. Code: Parma CO 505. Penalty: Felony possible. Effective Date: 2012.
ORC 935 violations: up to fifth-degree felony (up to 12 months imprisonment and $2,500 fine) for possession without permit. CO 505 local livestock violations: $150-$500 and removal order.
This is one of the stricter rules in Parma's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.
Dog Leash Laws
Parma requires all dogs to be leashed or under physical control when off the owner's property under Codified Ordinance 505.07 and state law ORC 955.22. Running-at-large violations carry fines from 100 dollars, with enforcement by Parma Animal Control and the Cuyahoga County Dog Warden.
Key details: Leash Length: Max 6 feet. Code: Parma CO 505.07. State Law: ORC 955.22. First Fine: 100 dollars plus impound. Off-Leash Parks: None in Parma.
First offense: 100 dollar fine plus impound fees. Second offense: 250 dollars. Third offense within 12 months: 4th-degree misdemeanor, up to 250 dollars and 30 days jail. Dog may be declared nuisance.
This is one of the stricter rules in Parma's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.
Pet Store Rules
Parma does not ban retail sale of dogs and cats. Chapter 709 licenses pet shops through the Director of Public Safety for a $50 annual fee and sets minimum sale ages and care standards instead of an adoption-only mandate.
Key details: License fee: $50.00 non-refundable, per year. Licensing authority: Director of Public Safety. Minimum sale age, dogs/cats: 8 weeks. Minimum sale age, guinea pigs/hamsters/rabbits: 4 weeks. Inspection window to fix violations: 24 hours before revocation.
Operating or maintaining a pet shop without the Section 709.02 license, or violating any Chapter 709 care, age-minimum or sanitation requirement, is punishable under Section 709.99 by a fine of up to $1,000.00 and up to six months in jail, with each day the violation continues charged as a separate offense. A shop that fails a Health, Building or animal-warden inspection under Section 709.04 has 24 hours to come into compliance before its license is revoked.
The Bottom Line
Parma 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 Parma, 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 Parma 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.