How Yonkers Handles Animal Ordinances: A Practical Guide

Yonkers maintains 128 local ordinances across all categories, and 6 of those deal specifically with animal ordinances. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Yonkers falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Veterinary Clinic Zoning

Veterinary offices and animal hospitals in Yonkers need a special use permit under City Code Chapter 43 and must keep all animal-holding buildings, exercise areas and accessory areas at least 50 feet from any residential use or district boundary. Overnight boarding buildings must be soundproofed and sealed so no animal reaches the outdoors between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

Key details: Buffer to residences: 50 feet from any residential use or district line. Overnight containment: Fully enclosed, soundproofed; animals in 10 p.m.-7 a.m.. Permit required: Special use permit from Planning Board. Cadaver disposal: Per City, county and state regulations. Penalty: Class II offense, $100-$5,000 fine or 15 days jail.

Operating a veterinary office or animal hospital without an approved § 43-74 special use permit, or violating any of its conditions, is a Class II offense under § 43-153 of the Zoning Ordinance: a fine of $100 to $5,000, up to 15 days in jail, or a civil penalty of $250 to $5,000 under City Code § 1-21. The City may also seek an injunction or revoke the certificate of occupancy.

Exotic Pets

Yonkers bars anyone from putting on a display of wild or exotic animals, or a rodeo, on any property the City has an interest in, from circuses and photo ops to carnival rides featuring animals. The 2020 ordinance defines 'wild or exotic animal' broadly, covering primates, big cats, wolves, bears, elephants and reptiles, among others.

Key details: Scope: only City-owned or City-interest property. Covers: circuses, carnivals, photo ops, rodeos. Exempt sponsors: Lenoir Preserve, AZA/sanctuary-accredited shows. Exempt animals: domesticated species, except fights/rodeos. First violation: fine up to $1,000/day.

A first violation of Chapter 65, Article II is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 under § 65-32A, with each day the display continues counted as a separate offense. A second or later violation for the same offense rises to a fine of up to $2,500 per day under § 65-32B.

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

Wildlife Feeding

Yonkers City Code § 58-20D, amended in 2023, bars leaving food for birds, fowl, dogs, cats or other animals in the open, or in any manner that rodents can reach, in and around multiunit residential buildings; food left overnight in a hallway or common area is banned outright.

Key details: Covered animals: birds, fowl, dogs, cats, other animals. Rule: no food accessible to rodents. Common areas: no food left overnight in halls. 2023 amendment: L.L. No. 10-2023 tightened §58-20D. Penalty: Class II offense, $100-$5,000 fine.

A § 58-20D feeding violation is not on the enhanced Class II list in § 58-7, so it falls under the City's default Class II offense in § 1-21: a criminal fine of $100 to $5,000 and up to 15 days in jail, or a civil penalty of $250 to $5,000. The § 76-6 citywide counterpart carries the same Class II offense under § 76-11.

Breed Restrictions

Yonkers doesn't regulate dogs by breed: it licenses and restrains any dog or animal that meets the City Code's behavior-based definition of 'dangerous.' Owners must get a special license, pay a $50 add-on fee, carry $100,000 in liability insurance, and follow strict confinement, leash and muzzle rules.

Key details: Basis for regulation: behavior-based, not breed-specific. Special license fee: $50 add-on to regular fee. Liability insurance: $100,000 minimum required. Yard fence: at least 8 feet high. Public restraint: 4-foot leash and muzzle.

Knowingly skipping the dangerous-dog license when one is required is a Class I offense under § 65-3J, punishable by up to one year in jail and a civil penalty as high as $10,000. Yonkers treats a dangerous dog as a 'dangerous instrument' under § 65-26D, exposing an owner who fails to control it to Penal Law penalties on top of chapter penalties, and a violation that causes physical injury to a person is itself a Class I offense under § 65-26E.

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

Chickens & Livestock

Yonkers bars keeping backyard chickens or any other poultry, fowl or bird on a residential property. City Code § 65-23 carves out only live poultry markets and small caged pet birds like canaries, parakeets and lovebirds kept without becoming a health nuisance.

Key details: Backyard chickens: prohibited citywide. Exceptions: poultry markets, small caged pet birds. Zoning backup: § 43-28 bans raising livestock or fowl. Added: 1990, Local Law No. 6-1990. Penalty: Class II offense, up to $5,000.

Keeping prohibited poultry or fowl violates § 65-23 and is a Class II offense under § 65-26F, punishable by a fine of $100 to $5,000 or up to 15 days in jail under the citywide schedule in § 1-21. Using land for raising livestock or fowl in violation of the zoning code's § 43-28 is a separate, independently enforceable zoning violation on top of the Chapter 65 penalty.

Compared to other cities, Yonkers takes a harder line on chickens & livestock. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Dog Leash Laws

Every dog in Yonkers must be on a leash no longer than six feet whenever it is off its owner's property, with dangerous dogs held to the tighter four-foot, muzzled standard. Dogs may run loose only on private property the owner occupies, and only if they can't escape or become a nuisance.

Key details: Leash limit: 6 feet in public. Dangerous dogs: 4-foot leash plus muzzle. Exception: owner-occupied private property. Impoundment: mandatory for dogs at large. Penalty: Class II offense, $100-$5,000.

Running a dog at large in violation of § 65-8 is a Class II offense under § 65-26B, carrying the citywide Class II range set in § 1-21: a fine of $100 to $5,000, up to 15 days in jail, or a civil penalty of $250 to $5,000. Proof the dog was at large is presumptive evidence against its registered owner under § 65-9, and the Yonkers Animal Shelter, police or a Dog Control Officer must impound the dog under § 65-17.

The Bottom Line

Yonkers is tougher than many cities when it comes to animal ordinances. Out of the 6 rules covered here, 3 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Yonkers, 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 Yonkers 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.