Animal Ordinances in Abington, PA (2026)
8 verified animal ordinances for Abington, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Abington Township's § 58-10 permits keeping chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and other poultry kept for show or racing, along with goats, cows, sheep, horses and ponies, but every one of those farm animals is listed 'subject to zoning,' meaning the Zoning Ordinance's district and lot rules control whether they are actually allowed on a given property. Animals off the permitted list need a Board of Animal Regulation permit instead.
Abington Township Backyard Poultry and Livestock Rules
Some RestrictionsAbington Township Code § 58-10
Any person is permitted to maintain, keep or possess within the Township of Abington any of the following animals, which classifications shall be strictly construed: ... Cows (Bos taurus), beef and dairy, subject to zoning ... Goats (Capra hircus), subject to zoning ... Horses and ponies (Equus caballus), subject to zoning ... Poultry (ducks, chickens, swans, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl and pig...
Dog Leash Laws
Abington Township requires every dog off its owner's property to be leashed at all times when on foot, with a leash no longer than eight feet, under § 58-1. Letting a dog run at large, licensed or not, without the owner or keeper present is unlawful anywhere off the owner's premises. Township police can seize and detain loose dogs, and violators face escalating fines that climb from $25 to $300 per offense.
Abington Township Dog Leash and Running-at-Large Law
Some RestrictionsAbington Township Code §§ 58-1, 58-7.1
Hereafter it shall be unlawful for any owner of any dog or dogs, licensed or unlicensed, to permit such dog or dogs to run at large off the premises of the owner or keeper, unaccompanied by the owner or keeper. When not on the premises of the owner or keeper, a dog must be leashed at all times when on foot. The leash shall be of sturdy material and not more than eight feet in length. ... Any ow...
Breed Restrictions
Abington Township does not regulate dogs by breed; instead § 58-28 lets anyone attacked, or whose pet was seriously wounded or killed, file a trespass complaint before a District Justice charging the owner with harboring a vicious animal. A judicial finding of viciousness triggers secure confinement, a surety bond, mandatory leash-and-muzzle rules off the property, and Township registration with proof of at least $50,000 in liability insurance.
Abington Township Vicious Animal Declaration Law
Significant RestrictionsAbington Township Code § 58-28
Any person or anyone for such person who has been attacked by an animal or the owner of a household pet which has been seriously wounded or killed by a animal may make a complaint in trespass before a District Justice, charging the owner or keeper of such animal with harboring a vicious animal. ... such official shall order said owner or keeper to henceforth keep such animal securely confined. ...
Exotic Pets
Section 58-11 of Abington Township's Animals chapter bans keeping a long list of wild and dangerous species outright, including apes, bears, lions, tigers, wolves, coyotes, hyenas, bison, elephants and all poisonous animals such as rear-fanged snakes. Unlike the permitted-animal list in § 58-10, there is no zoning workaround for these species; possession itself is unlawful anywhere in the Township, with only a narrow permit path for certain less-dangerous related animals under § 58-12.
Abington Township Prohibited Wild and Exotic Animals
Heavy RestrictionsAbington Township Code § 58-11
No person is permitted to maintain, keep or possess within the Township of Abington any of the following animals, which classifications shall be broadly construed: All poisonous animals, including rear-fanged snakes Apes: chimpanzees (Pan), gibbons (Hylobates), gorillas (Gorilla), orangutans (Pongo) and siamangs (Symphalangus) ... Bears (Ursidae) ... Lions (Panthera leo) ... Tigers (Panthera ti...
Wildlife Feeding
Abington Township does not ban feeding stray or feral cats outright. Section 58-34 makes it unlawful only if the feeding causes a nuisance to neighbors or a condition contrary to public health, safety and welfare, and it lets the Township require anyone feeding a colony to cooperate with its sponsored trap-neuter-return program.
Abington Feral Cat Feeding Rule
Light RestrictionsAbington Township Code § 58-34
§ 58-34. Feeding of stray or feral cats. A. It shall be unlawful for any person to continue to feed feral cats, if such feeding causes a nuisance to neighbors or creates a condition contrary to the health, safety and welfare of the community. B. Any person feeding stray or feral cats may be required to cooperate with any humane program sponsored by the Township, or operating under the Township'...
Cat Rules
Abington Township only allows a cat to run free outside its owner's residence if the cat has been spayed or neutered, immunized against rabies under Pennsylvania law, and had its left ear tipped to show that status. Chapter 58, Article VI defines feral and stray cats separately, and the Township runs a trap-neuter-return program for colonies that meet its feeding rules.
Abington Cat At-Large and Sterilization Rule
Some RestrictionsAbington Township Code §§ 58-32, 58-33, 58-35
FERAL CAT Any homeless, wild or untamed cat. STRAY CAT Any cat whose owner or keeper from time to time allows the cat to run free off of the property of the owner or keeper. § 58-33. Responsibilities of cat owners regarding stray cats. It shall be unlawful for any owner of any cat to permit such cat to run free outside the residence of its owner or keeper unless said cat has been: A. Neutered o...
Pet Store Rules
Abington Township bans retail pet stores from selling dogs or cats. Section 58-37, adopted 8-14-2025 by Ordinance No. 2233, lets a pet store host an animal shelter or rescue organization's adoption space instead, and exempts breeders selling animals bred and raised on their own premises. A store that sells anyway faces a $600 fine per animal.
Abington Retail Pet Store Sale Ban
Heavy RestrictionsAbington Township Code §§ 58-37, 58-38
§ 58-37. Sale of dogs and cats prohibited. A. It shall be unlawful for a retail pet store, as defined in this article, to sell, offer for sale, deliver, barter, auction, or transfer a dog or cat. B. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a retail pet store from providing space to either an animal shelter or to an animal rescue organization, whether such shelter or organization i...
Bird Protection
In Abington Township, killing, injuring or disturbing birds, their nests or eggs inside any township park or playground is banned outright under Code § 115-1A(21)-(22). The rule also protects fish and waterfowl in park streams, pools and ponds. Violators face the same summary-offense penalty as any other Chapter 115 violation: up to a $100 fine and five days in the township lockup.
Abington Park Bird Protection Ordinance
Heavy RestrictionsAbington Township Code § 115-1A(21), (22)
(21) No person shall annoy, strike, injure, maim or kill any animals or birds in a park or playground. (22) No person shall disturb the fish or water fowl in the streams, pools or ponds, or birds, nests or eggs in any part of a park or playground.
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