Surprise's Animal Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles animal ordinances a little differently. In Surprise, Arizona, there are 6 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

Surprise prohibits letting a dog run at large, meaning off the owner's property and not on a leash of no more than six feet. Dogs may run off-leash only in a designated dog exercise area or dog park, and only while accompanied by, and under the control of, the owner or custodian, who must still carry a six-foot leash.

Key details: Governing section: City Code Sec. 10-56. Leash length cap: 6 feet, off owner's property. Off-leash exception: Designated dog exercise area/dog park only. Owner liability: Full cost of impound care if at large. Enforcement: Maricopa County Animal Care and Control / city agent.

Allowing a dog to run at large violates Sec. 10-56 and is enforceable by the city's enforcement agent through apprehension and impoundment, plus civil or criminal citation. A violating owner is also liable for full impound and care costs under Sec. 10-56(d) and for any resulting injury or property damage under Sec. 10-57.

Wildlife Feeding

Surprise bans feeding animals, wild or domestic, on any city-owned property, including all parks and recreation facilities. The ban covers grain, seed, bread, food scraps or improperly contained garbage given to wild animals, birds, livestock, or feral or at-large domesticated animals within city property boundaries.

Key details: Governing section: City Code Sec. 10-84. Adopted: Ord. No. 2021-23, 11-16-21. Where banned: All city-owned property, incl. parks. Covers: Wild, feral, or at-large animals/birds. Includes: Improperly stored garbage as 'feeding'.

Knowingly feeding a wild, feral or at-large animal, or leaving improperly contained garbage accessible to animals, on any city-owned property including parks violates Sec. 10-84 and is enforceable by the city's animal enforcement agent through the standard chapter 10 citation process.

Exotic Pets

Surprise flatly bans keeping any poisonous reptiles, alligators or crocodiles within city limits, no permit or exception listed. Swine (pigs, hogs) are separately banned outright citywide, unlike other livestock, which is allowed with adequate lot size under a companion section.

Key details: Governing section: City Code Sec. 10-112. Banned outright: Poisonous reptiles, alligators, crocodiles. Companion ban: Sec. 10-111: swine prohibited citywide. Contrast: Other livestock allowed on 1/2-acre lots (Sec. 10-113). Source: Code 2007, § 6.08.030.

Keeping any poisonous reptile, alligator or crocodile within Surprise city limits violates Sec. 10-112 and is a citable animal-control offense; keeping swine anywhere in the city similarly violates Sec. 10-111. Both are enforced by the city's animal control enforcement agent through the chapter 10 citation process.

Compared to other cities, Surprise takes a harder line on exotic pets. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Chickens & Livestock

Surprise lets residents on lots over a half-acre keep up to 25 fowl or rodents, while smaller lots of a half-acre or less may keep up to six fowl (no roosters allowed on any single-family lot) in a rear or side-yard enclosure at least 20 feet from a neighboring property. Livestock generally requires a half-acre of lot area per animal, and swine remain banned citywide.

Key details: Fowl limit, >1/2 acre lot: 25 fowl or rodents combined. Fowl limit, <=1/2 acre lot: 6 fowl, backyard enclosure only. Roosters: Prohibited on any single-family lot. Enclosure setback: 20 ft from neighboring property. Enclosure max size: 200 sq ft, 8 ft max height.

Keeping more fowl or rodents than the lot size allows, keeping roosters on any single-family lot, or maintaining an enclosure that fails the setback, size, drainage, feed-storage or twice-weekly manure removal standards violates Sec. 10-114 and its sanitation companion Sec. 10-115, enforceable by the city's animal enforcement agent. Keeping livestock without the required half-acre per animal violates Sec. 10-113.

Beekeeping

Backyard beekeeping is allowed in Surprise, but the hives can't sit just anywhere. Land Development Ordinance Sec. 106-10.4(C) requires any structure housing hives to stay at least 80 feet from a dwelling, a property line, or a right-of-way, whether the apiary is for hobby or commercial use.

Key details: Setback: 80 feet from dwelling, lot line, or right-of-way. Governing section: Sec. 106-10.4(C), Agricultural Animal Keeping. Commercial keeping: must follow Sec. 106-10.5 standards. Personal/non-commercial keeping: governed by City Code Chapter 10. Penalty: class 1 misdemeanor, Sec. 1-7.

An apiary sited inside the 80-foot buffer from a dwelling, property line, or right-of-way does not meet Sec. 106-10.4(C) and is subject to the city's general code enforcement process; conviction for a Land Development Ordinance violation is a class 1 misdemeanor under Sec. 1-7, with each day the noncompliant setback continues treated as a separate offense.

Breed Restrictions

Surprise regulates animals by behavior, not breed: an animal is declared 'vicious' through a city magistrate hearing after an attack or threatening conduct, not because of its breed. Once declared vicious, an owner must post warning signs, keep the animal enclosed, carry $100,000 in liability insurance, and have it spayed or neutered within 30 days.

Key details: Basis for restriction: Behavior/history, not breed. Declaration process: City magistrate hearing under Sec. 10-27. Required insurance: $100,000 liability minimum. Spay/neuter deadline: 30 days after determination. Sign requirement: 8.5x11 in, red letters, at each entrance.

Keeping a declared-vicious animal outside an enclosure, without the required warning sign, without the $100,000 liability policy, or without spay/neuter within 30 days violates Sec. 10-26 and is enforceable by the city's animal enforcement agent or a city magistrate order. A dog found vicious and unconfined can be impounded; other vicious animals found unconfined are impounded and may be destroyed by a licensed veterinarian.

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

The Bottom Line

Surprise is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 6 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Surprise, 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 Surprise 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.