Scottsdale's Animal Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles animal ordinances a little differently. In Scottsdale, Arizona, 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.

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

Scottsdale's Planned Regional Center (PRC) zoning district allows veterinary and pet care service as a permitted use, but Code Sec. 5.2605 requires the indoor operation to sit inside a soundproof building. Outdoor animal activity is allowed only if an attendant stays with the animal, waste is cleaned up immediately, the outdoor area sits at least 100 feet from any residential-district lot line, and outdoor kennel boarding never happens.

Key details: Outdoor setback: 100 feet from residential district line. Indoor requirement: Soundproof building for all facilities. Outdoor kennel boarding: Not permitted under any circumstance. Governing section: Zoning Ordinance Sec. 5.2605, PRC District. Minimum fine: $500 for unpermitted-use violation.

A violation of the Zoning Ordinance's use standards, including the Sec. 5.2605 outdoor-area conditions, is enforced under Secs. 1.1401-1.1402: a civil citation carries a sanction up to $2,500, with a mandatory minimum of $500 for an unpermitted-use violation. A second citation for the same type of violation within two years is charged as a class one misdemeanor, prosecuted in Scottsdale City Court under state sentencing law.

Pet Limits

Scottsdale addresses animal hoarding through Scottsdale Revised Code Chapter 4 keeping limits and Maricopa County Animal Care & Control field investigations; criminal cruelty is prosecuted under Arizona Revised Statutes §13-2910 as a class 1 misdemeanor or class 6 felony.

Key details: Keeping Limits: Scottsdale RC Ch. 4. MCACC: (602) 506-7387. Cruelty Law: ARS §13-2910. Code Enforcement: (480) 312-2546. Felony Threshold: Intentional injury (§13-2910.A).

Exceeding keeping limits under Chapter 4: civil citation $100-$500 first offense. ARS §13-2910 class 1 misdemeanor: up to 6 months jail, $2,500 fine. Class 6 felony: up to 2 years prison, $150,000 fine. Animal seizure plus cost-of-care reimbursement under ARS §13-2910.07. Scottsdale Code Enforcement nuisance abatement: civil fines up to $2,500/day under Scottsdale Revised Code §1-8.

Breed Restrictions

Scottsdale does not ban dogs by breed. Instead, § 4-31 of the Code of Ordinances defines a vicious animal as any carnivore that has a propensity to bite human beings without provocation, and that label only attaches after a hearing before a justice of the peace or city magistrate. Once declared vicious, § 4-40(g) lets the county enforcement agent destroy the animal on that judge's order after notice and a further hearing.

Key details: Vicious animal test: Propensity to bite without provocation. Who declares it: Justice of the peace or city magistrate. Destruction requires: Notice plus a separate hearing. At-large violation: Class 3 misdemeanor (§ 4-39(n)(3)). Breed-specific bans: None in Scottsdale's code.

An animal formally declared vicious after a justice-of-the-peace or city magistrate hearing can be ordered destroyed by the county enforcement agent under § 4-40(g), but only after the owner receives notice and a further hearing on the destruction itself. If a dog already carrying that designation is found at large, § 4-39(g) treats that separately as an at-large violation, a class 3 misdemeanor under § 4-39(n)(3), independent of any destruction proceeding.

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

Dog Leash Laws

Scottsdale's Code of Ordinances § 4-39 bans letting any dog run at large: each dog must stay confined to the owner's property or be on a leash no longer than six feet and under the owner's direct physical control whenever it's off that property. A qualifying leash must be a chain, rope or strap of leather, fabric or similar material strong enough to restrain the dog. Violating the section is a class 3 misdemeanor.

Key details: Maximum leash length: 6 feet (§ 4-39(a),(c)). Violation class: Class 3 misdemeanor (§ 4-39(n)(3)). Exceptions: Livestock, hunting, kennel/race dogs. No exception: Dogs in heat, vicious dogs at large. Rabies quarantine area: Zero tolerance for dogs at large.

Subsection (n)(3) makes an at-large violation a class 3 misdemeanor, and the enforcement agent issues citations using the notice-to-appear procedure under A.R.S. §§ 13-3899 and 13-3903 rather than a custodial arrest. The agent may enter private property in reasonable pursuit of a loose dog, though not into a dwelling or an enclosure that confines the dog without the occupant's consent. Any dog at large is subject to impoundment, and under subsection (n)(4) a dangerous or fierce animal that cannot be safely impounded may be slain.

Chickens & Livestock

Scottsdale's Code of Ordinances § 4-17 lets residents keep cattle, horses, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, birds and fowl, but every pen, stall, cage or yard must stay free of flies, rodents, odors and manure buildup that creates a public health nuisance. A pigsty or piggery cannot sit on marshy ground, within 200 feet of any stream, canal or water source, or within 300 feet of an inhabited house or occupied building on an adjoining property.

Key details: Water-source setback: 200 feet (§ 4-17(b)(2)). Inhabited-house setback: 300 feet (§ 4-17(b)(3)). Manure removal frequency: Twice weekly (§ 4-18). Default penalty: Class 1 misdemeanor (§ 1-8). Enforcing officer: County health officer (§ 4-19).

Keeping livestock or fowl in violation of § 4-17 defaults to the general penalty in § 1-8: a Class 1 misdemeanor, with each day the nuisance continues charged as a separate offense. The city may also treat the condition as a public nuisance and abate it directly, again treating each continuing day as a new offense. The county health officer enforces § 4-19 inspections and can order abatement at the property owner's expense.

The Bottom Line

Scottsdale's animal ordinances rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Scottsdale is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Scottsdale'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.