Pottstown's Animal Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles animal ordinances a little differently. In Pottstown, Pennsylvania, there are 5 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.

Exotic Pets

Pottstown Borough Code Section 202 makes it unlawful to keep any wild animal in the Borough, however it was acquired, and names foxes, bears, deer, monkeys, raccoons, opossums, skunks, venomous snakes, venomous spiders, alligators and crocodiles as examples covered by the ban.

Key details: Wild pets allowed: No, banned outright. Examples named: Fox, bear, monkeys, venomous snakes. Fine range: $50 to $600 plus costs. Jail if unpaid: Up to 30 days. List type: Illustrative, not exhaustive.

Section 209 sets the penalty for a Section 202 violation, and for any other violation of Chapter 2, Part 2, at a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $600 plus costs of prosecution, with imprisonment of up to 30 days if the fine and costs go unpaid. Because the prohibition is not tied to a dangerous-animal finding, keeping a listed wild animal, or any other wild animal, inside Borough limits is itself the violation.

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

Cat Rules

Pottstown Borough Code Sections 205 and 206 let animal rescue groups and volunteer feral cat caregivers trap, sterilize, vaccinate, ear-tip and return feral cats rather than treat them as ownerless strays, and Section 101 excludes a feral cat caregiver from the Code's definition of animal owner.

Key details: Program type: Trap-neuter-return for feral cats. Ear-tip requirement: At time of sterilization. Caregiver status: Not an 'owner' under § 101. Abandonment protection: Return under program is not abandonment. Cost: At caregiver's own expense.

Sections 205 and 206 are permissive rather than punitive; they create a lawful path for feeding and caring for feral cats that would otherwise be swept up in Chapter 2's abandonment and at-large rules. A caregiver who does not vaccinate and ear-tip a feral cat at sterilization, or otherwise ignores the Section 206 conditions, loses that protection and falls back under the general Chapter 2, Part 2 penalty in Section 209: a fine of $50 to $600 plus costs of prosecution, with up to 30 days in jail if unpaid.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Pottstown gives residents more flexibility on cat rules.

Chickens & Livestock

Pottstown Borough Code Section 201 bans keeping any pig or other farm animal within Borough limits, expressly naming chickens, roosters, ducks and geese along with donkeys, cows, horses, sheep and goats. There is no permit or exception; keeping any of these animals in the Borough is unlawful outright.

Key details: Chickens allowed: No, expressly banned. Fine range: $50 to $600 plus costs. Jail if unpaid: Up to 30 days. Animals named: Donkeys, cows, horses, sheep, fowl, goats. Backyard-flock exception: None in the text.

Section 209 sets the penalty for any violation of Chapter 2, Part 2, at a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $600 plus costs of prosecution, with imprisonment of up to 30 days if the fine and costs are not paid. Because Section 201 is an outright prohibition rather than a permit requirement, keeping even a single backyard hen or rooster inside Pottstown's borough limits is a citable violation regardless of lot size.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Pottstown actively enforces its chickens & livestock requirements.

Dog Leash Laws

Pottstown bans letting any animal run at large and requires dogs on the street to be leashed with a lead no longer than six feet, under Sections 103 through 105 of Chapter 2. Violators face a fine of $50 to $600 plus costs, or up to 30 days in jail if unpaid.

Key details: Leash length limit: 6 feet on public ways. Fine range: $50 to $600 plus costs. Jail if unpaid: Up to 30 days. Notice period: 24 hours to abate. Off-leash exception: Director-designated exercise areas.

Section 111 sets the penalty for any violation of Chapter 2, Part 1, at a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $600 plus court costs and the Borough's reasonable attorney's fees, with up to 30 days in jail if the fine and costs go unpaid. Before a citation issues, Section 110 requires written notice giving the owner 24 hours to abate the violation, and that notice stays valid for six months, so a repeat offense within that window needs no second notice before a District Justice complaint is filed.

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

Pottstown's Zoning Ordinance treats a veterinary office and kennel as a distinct land use: permitted by right in the Highway Business (Contemporary) District under Section 337 and allowed only as a conditional use in the Gateway East/West District under Section 334. Where the use functions as a commercial kennel, Section 401(14) adds a 300-foot setback from any residence and a noise-buffering requirement.

Key details: Use definition: Ch. 27: medical care, treatment, grooming or boarding. Highway Business District: § 337: permitted by right. Gateway East/West District: § 334: conditional use only. Residential setback: 300 ft. from any existing residence. Noise standard: § 401(14)(B): must buffer audible noise.

An applicant who opens a veterinary office and kennel in the Gateway Districts without securing conditional-use approval under Sections 400-401, or who runs an outdoor kennel inside the 300-foot residential setback, is subject to Chapter 27's zoning enforcement: the Zoning Administrator can deny or revoke permits, and the Borough can pursue the violation as a zoning infraction with fines available under state law until the setback and noise-buffering requirements in Section 401(14) are met.

The Bottom Line

Pottstown is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 5 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Pottstown, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

These rules come from Pottstown's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.