Reading's Animal Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles animal ordinances a little differently. In Reading, Pennsylvania, 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.

Dog Leash Laws

Reading Code Section 141-209 (Restraining and confinement generally) requires every dog on a street, sidewalk, public way, park, public square, or any private property without the owner's consent to be secured by a leash of sufficient tensile strength to restrain the particular dog, or to be at heel and securely muzzled. Section 141-208 separately prohibits unattended outdoor tethering except under narrow conditions. State-level licensing is administered by the Berks County Treasurer under the Pennsylvania Dog Law (3 P.S. Section 459-101 et seq.).

Key details: Leash Required: Yes — off owner's property (141-209). Tethering: Prohibited unattended (141-208). State Dog License: Required annually — Berks County Treasurer. License Fees (2025): $8.50 spay/neuter; $10.50 intact. Animal Control: ARL Berks County 610-373-8830.

Off-leash and at-large violations under Section 141-209 are summary offenses enforced by the Reading Police, ARL humane officers, and the City's contracted Animal Control Authority. Fines under Chapter 141 typically run $100 to $300 first offense plus impoundment, sheltering, and reclaim fees if the dog is picked up. Failing to license a dog violates 3 P.S. Section 459-201 with a separate penalty of up to $300 per day under the Pennsylvania Dog Law. Repeat off-leash incidents that result in bites can trigger dangerous-dog proceedings under 3 P.S. Section 459-502-A.

Chickens & Livestock

Reading's Code of Ordinances Chapter 141 (Animals), Part 2 (Animal Control), at Section 141-215 makes it unlawful to own, harbor, or permit at large any 'domestic agricultural animal' — including chickens, ducks, turkeys, goats, sheep, swine, and other livestock — within City limits without a permit issued by the Reading Animal Control Board. The permit is processed through the Property Maintenance Division and is valid for up to three years or for the duration of the animal's rabies vaccination.

Key details: Permit Required: Yes — Animal Control Board (141-215). Code Section: Reading Code Ch. 141 Part 2. Processing Office: Property Maintenance Division. Permit Term: Up to 3 years (rabies-tag duration). State Preemption: None — local authority.

Keeping a domestic agricultural animal without a Reading Animal Control Board permit is a violation of Section 141-215 enforceable as a summary offense under Chapter 141 with fines, costs, and abatement orders requiring removal of the animal. Penalties typically run $100 to $1,000 per occurrence with daily continuing-violation penalties under the Reading Code general-penalty provision. Failure to obey an abatement order can also trigger separate Property Maintenance citations.

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

Exotic Pets

Reading Code Section 141-215 makes it unlawful to own, harbor, or permit at large any 'exotic animal' within the City without a permit from the Reading Animal Control Board. The City has expressly defined the category to capture non-domestic species — big cats, primates, bears, venomous reptiles, and similar wildlife. Statewide, the Pennsylvania Game and Wildlife Code at 34 Pa.C.S. Section 2961 et seq. and the Pennsylvania Game Commission's permit regulations at 58 Pa. Code Chapter 147 separately require exotic-wildlife possession permits.

Key details: Local Permit: Required — Reading Animal Control Board (141-215). State Permit: PA Game Commission (58 Pa. Code Ch. 147). State Statute: 34 Pa.C.S. Section 2961 et seq.. Caging Standards: PGC inspection required. Enforcement: Reading PM Division + PGC Wildlife Officers.

Possessing an exotic animal in Reading without an Animal Control Board permit is a Chapter 141 summary offense with fines of $100 to $1,000 plus abatement orders. Possessing exotic wildlife under 34 Pa.C.S. Section 2961 without a Game Commission permit is a separate summary or misdemeanor offense with fines up to $1,500 per animal and seizure by Wildlife Conservation Officers. Animals seized for public-safety reasons are placed with PGC-licensed wildlife sanctuaries at the owner's expense.

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

Wildlife Feeding

Reading prohibits conditions that create a public nuisance under Code Section 141-204, which reaches feeding of stray cats, deer, or other wildlife that produces odor, sanitation, or vermin problems. Statewide rules add specific bans: 58 Pa. Code Section 137.33 (issued under the Game and Wildlife Code, 34 Pa.C.S. Section 103) prohibits feeding bears and elk, and 58 Pa. Code Section 137.34 prohibits feeding wild deer in Disease Management Areas. Reading sits within DMA 4 (parts of Berks, Lancaster, and Lebanon counties), so deer feeding is unlawful here.

Key details: Local Hook: Section 141-204 nuisance. Bear/Elk Feeding: Prohibited statewide (58 Pa. Code Section 137.33). Deer Feeding: Prohibited in DMA 4 (Section 137.34). Reading in DMA: Yes — DMA 4. Authorizing Statute: 34 Pa.C.S. Section 103 (Game and Wildlife Code).

Section 141-204 nuisance citations in Reading typically run $100 to $1,000 per occurrence with daily continuing-violation penalties and abatement orders. State bear/elk feeding violations under 58 Pa. Code Section 137.33 are enforced by PGC with fines starting at $200 plus removal of feed and ban on future feeding. CWD-area deer-feeding violations under Section 137.34 are similar summary offenses with PGC fines. Feeding that draws bears into populated neighborhoods can also trigger a written notice from the Commission prohibiting further activity at that location.

Beekeeping

Reading's Code of Ordinances Chapter 141 does not contain an express urban-beekeeping framework. Bees are not separately authorized as a residential by-right use and would, in practice, fall under the Section 141-215 'domestic agricultural animal' permit requirement administered by the Animal Control Board. Statewide, the Pennsylvania Bee Law at 3 Pa.C.S. Section 2101 et seq. requires every beekeeper to register all apiaries with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry.

Key details: Reading Urban Beekeeping: Not expressly authorized. Likely Permit Track: Section 141-215 (Animal Control Board). State Registration: Required — PA Bee Law 3 Pa.C.S. Section 2102. State Authority: PA Dept. of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry. Registration Fee: About $10 per two years.

Keeping bees in Reading without an Animal Control Board permit, where one is required, is enforceable under Chapter 141 as a summary offense with fines from $100 to $1,000 per occurrence and abatement orders requiring hive removal. Failing to register an apiary with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture violates the Bee Law (3 Pa.C.S. Section 2102) and is enforced separately by the PDA with civil penalties. Bees adjudicated a public nuisance under Section 141-204 (swarms, repeated stinging incidents) can be ordered removed regardless of permit status.

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

Pet Limits

Reading Code Section 141-220 effectively caps a household at six dogs and/or cats combined. Owning more than six requires a permit from the Reading Animal Control Board, which has explicit statutory authority to grant or deny requests to own more than six dogs/cats and may impose conditions to protect the animal, owner, and the general public. The state Dog Law continues to require licensing of each dog three months or older through the Berks County Treasurer.

Key details: Household Cap: 6 dogs/cats combined (Section 141-220). Over 6: Animal Control Board permit required. Permit Office: Property Maintenance Division. Permit Fees: Set in Reading Code Ch. 212. State Dog License: Each dog 3 months+ annually.

Owning more than six dogs/cats without an Animal Control Board permit is a Chapter 141 summary offense with fines from $100 to $1,000 plus daily continuing-violation penalties and an abatement order to reduce the count or obtain a permit. Failure to license individual dogs annually under 3 P.S. Section 459-201 is a separate violation enforced by the PA Dog Law Enforcement Bureau with fines up to $300 per dog per day. Conditions sufficient to constitute hoarding can escalate to criminal charges under 18 Pa.C.S. Sections 5532-5534.

Breed Restrictions

Reading does not have a breed-specific ordinance and cannot enact one. Pennsylvania's Dog Law at 3 P.S. Section 459-507-A(c) preempts local breed bans: a local ordinance otherwise dealing with dogs may not prohibit or otherwise limit a specific breed of dog. Reading regulates dangerous behavior on an individual-dog basis under Code Section 141-216 (aggressive dog, vicious animal, and dangerous dog determination/permit), aligned with the state dangerous-dog statute at 3 P.S. Section 459-502-A.

Key details: Local BSL: None — preempted by state law. Preemption Statute: 3 P.S. Section 459-507-A(c). Allowed Local Rule: Behavior-based registration only (141-216). State Dangerous Dog Act: 3 P.S. Section 459-502-A. Insurance Requirement: $50,000 liability (state law).

Because breed-specific local ordinances are state-preempted, no Reading citation can be issued solely based on a dog's breed. Behavior-based dangerous-dog citations under 3 P.S. Section 459-502-A are summary offenses for an initial unprovoked attack and grade up to misdemeanors and felonies for severe attacks. Failing to register an aggressive or dangerous dog under Reading Code Section 141-216 carries fines from $100 to $1,000 plus permit revocation. Owners must also maintain at least $50,000 in liability insurance and a secure enclosure once a dog is adjudicated dangerous.

The rules around breed restrictions in Reading lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Animal Hoarding

Reading addresses animal hoarding through three overlapping frameworks: (1) Code Section 141-204 (Nuisances), which prohibits keeping any animal that constitutes a public-nuisance animal or a menace to public health or safety; (2) the Animal Control Board's permit cap on more than six dogs and/or cats in a household under Section 141-220; and (3) the Pennsylvania cruelty statutes at 18 Pa.C.S. Sections 5532 (neglect), 5533 (cruelty), and 5534 (aggravated cruelty), enforced by the Animal Rescue League of Berks County humane officers.

Key details: Local Cap: 6 dogs/cats per household (Section 141-220). Nuisance Hook: Section 141-204. State Neglect: 18 Pa.C.S. Section 5532. State Cruelty: 18 Pa.C.S. Section 5533 (M2 w/ injury). Aggravated Cruelty: 18 Pa.C.S. Section 5534 (F3).

Penalties scale with severity. Reading Section 141-204 nuisance citations and Section 141-220 over-six-pet violations are summary offenses with fines from $100 to $1,000 plus abatement, daily continuing-violation penalties, and Animal Control Board permit revocation. State criminal penalties: 18 Pa.C.S. Section 5532 (neglect) summary or M3 (up to one year, $2,500); 18 Pa.C.S. Section 5533 (cruelty) M2 (up to two years, $5,000); 18 Pa.C.S. Section 5534 (aggravated cruelty) F3 (up to seven years, $15,000). Convicted defendants are typically also barred from owning animals and ordered to pay restitution for veterinary care.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Reading actively enforces its animal hoarding requirements.

The Bottom Line

Reading 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 Reading, 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 Reading'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.